Widespread flu found in 48 states

Dr. Julie Morita, Director of Immunizations at the Chicago Dept. of Public Health, gives Gary Chavarria a flu shot at a North Side clinic Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, in Chicago. Illinois is among 24 states across the nation hardest hit by the flu, but vaccine is still available in most locations, health officials said Friday as they urged people to get their shots.

The CDC said as of Jan. 18, 48 states have reported widespread flu activity, meaning at least 50 percent of counties are reporting flu activity.

AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Cheryl Evans

Stephanie Dugger, 20, of Apache Junction, gets a flu shot from nurse Bhagwati Bhakta at Mollen Immunization Clinics in Scottsdale, Ariz., Jan. 10, 2013. Arizona health officials say flu activity is widespread in the state this week with influenza reported in 14 of its 15 counties. Flu season in the U.S. has hit early and, in some places, hard. But whether this will be considered a bad season by the time it has run its course in the spring remains to be seen.

Vials of flu vaccine are displayed at Philly Flu Shots on Jan. 10, 2013, in Philadelphia. The flu season arrived early in the U.S. this year, but health officials and experts say it's too early to say this will be a bad one. Experts say evidence so far is pointing to a moderate flu season - it just looks worse because last year's season was so mild. Flu usually doesn't blanket the country until late January or February. Now, it's already widespread in more than 40 states.

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A tent is set up to see flu patients outside of the Emergency Room at Lehigh Valley Hospital on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013 at Cedar Crest, in Salisbury Township, Pa. The tent was set up after cases were piling up at the Salisbury Township hospital Monday, with the hospital reporting an extremely busy flu season so far.

This Jan. 7, 2013, photo shows a tent prepared for expected flu patients outside of the Emergency Room at Lehigh Valley Hospital at Cedar Crest, in Salisbury Township, Pa.

Dr Meeta Khan, wears a face mask as she examines a respiratory patient at the Rush University Hospital emergency department, Jan. 10, 2013, in Chicago.

Dr. Meeta Khan wears a face mask as she examines a respiratory patient at the Rush University Hospital emergency department, Jan. 10, 2013, in Chicago.

Diane Ewell, of Phoenix, right, gets a flu shot from nurse Bhagwati Bhakta at Mollen Immunization Clinics in Scottsdale, Ariz., Jan. 10, 2013.

Pam Horn administers the flu vaccine to employee Michael Karolitzky at Philly Flu Shots on Jan. 10, 2013, in Philadelphia.

A tent is set up for a patients with flu symptoms, just outside the emergency entrance at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Jan. 10, 2013, in Allentown, Pa. The Pennsylvania Department of Health designated flu as now "widespread" throughout the commonwealth. There have been more than 11,000 laboratory-confirmed flu cases in the state since the flu season began in mid-December.

Registered nurse Michelle Newbury, meets with a patient, not pictured, in a tent set up for a people with flu symptoms, just outside the emergency entrance at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Jan. 10, 2013, in Allentown, Pa.

AP/Wisconsin State Journal, Amber Arnold

Natalie Rauwolf, 9, of Madison, winces as she receives a flu shot from LPN Anna Fiore at the Dean West Clinic in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, January 10, 2012.

In this Oct. 17, 2012 file photo, Bill Staples, a Mississippi Department of Health employee, is given an intradermal shot of flu vaccine by registered nurse Rosemary Jones, in Jackson, Miss. A CDC survey shows that in 2011, 29 hospitals in the U.S. fired employees that were not vaccinated against the virus.

Roberto Torres Jr., holds his son, Roberto Torres III, as Sarah Godshall, RN, right, gives him a shot at the Vanderburgh County Health Department in Evansville, Ind., Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013. The VCHD was busy with families bringing in their children for flu and school vaccinations. (AP Photo/The Evansville Courier & Press, Molly Bartels)

Alina Pastoriza Garcia, ARNP-NP-C, administers a flu vaccination to Russell Waddey at the CVS/pharmacy's MinuteClinic on December 4, 2012 in Miami, Florida.

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Four-year-old Gabriella Diaz sits as registered nurse Charlene Luxcin, right, administers a flu shot at the Whittier Street Health Center in Boston, Mass., Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. Boston declared a public health emergency Wednesday as the city tried to deal with a harsh flu season and the state reported 18 flu-related deaths so far. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Complications from the influenza virus claimed the life of 17-year-old Max Schwolert of Texas when he visited relatives in Armery, Wis., according to CBS Minnesota. He was airlifted to a hospital in St. Paul a day after Christmas Day.

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FILE - In a Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 file photo, Elizabeth Saint Victor winces as she gets a free flu shot from LPN Jean Buck courtesy of Baptist Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn., at the Central Library. Health officials say flu season is off to its earliest start in nearly 10 years _ and it could be a bad one. Officials said Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 that suspected flu cases have jumped in five southern states _ Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. An uptick in flu reports like this usually doesn't occur until after Christmas. (AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Jim Weber, File)