The flu season in the U.S. is getting worse with 38 states reporting high or very high levels for respiratory illnesses.

Hospitals are filling up with people battling both flu and COVID as well as with pediatric patients suffering from RSV. This is what health experts have deemed as the ‘tripledemic’ and there’s concern that these infections will continue to spread.

What questions do you have about flu season, the vaccines available and where you can get vaccinated?

With flu season fast approaching, doctors want to make sure children are vaccinated, especially since we’re also dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. If your little ones are learning remotely, you might think a flu shot isn’t necessary this year — but that’s not the case. “Just because your child is learning remotely doesn’t mean influenza is moving remotely. Esper said flu season is inevitable but he hopes it won’t be as bad — mainly because people are already following social distancing guidelines and wearing masks due to the coronavirus. As for how effective this year’s flu shot will be, he said only time will tell, but regardless, it’s still better to have some protection than none at all.

It’s a scene that makes health care officials cringe -- knowing we’re in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and flu season is just months away. “In certain years, influenza kills lots of people, so COVID-19 may be similar to the flu. Tawanda Washington, with the Florida Department of Health in Duval County, also pointed out that symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the flu. “So what we don’t want is for people to assume they have the flu and not get care,” said Tawanda Washington, with the Florida Department of Health in Duval County. It’s worth mentioning that even if you get a flu shot, that vaccination will not protect you from COVID-19.

The flu season is continuing to hit southern states hard as influenza begins to spread across the country. The flu season got off to an early start in the Deep South. The most recent weekly flu report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds high levels of flu-like illness in 19 states, including most southern states. So far in the 2019-2020 flu season, CDC has reported 19 flu-associated deaths among children. They say the flu vaccine is the best way to prevent flu and its complications.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Several counties across Northeast Florida are seeing a growing number of cases of influenza as flu season wears on, according to the Florida Department of Health. The health department routinely sends out a weekly bulletin that shows the status of reported flu cases throughout the state. While most counties are still seeing mild flu activity, the latest advisory shows three in our area – Clay, Duval and Marion – have been upgraded to moderate activity. So far this season, the most common type of flu has been the B strain, or what’s called the “Victoria lineage” strain. It’s still too early to predict which type of flu will be the predominate strain this season.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – With flu season upon us, doctors are warning people to get their flu shots right away. In Northeast Florida, flu season typically falls during the winter months, but it starts as early as the beginning of October and can last into the spring months. There were nine outbreaks of influenza reported throughout the state this past week, according to the Florida Department of Health. Chismark said getting the flu vaccine annually is the best way to avoid catching the virus. To help more people get the vaccine, Wildflower Healthcare Clinic in St. Augustine is offering vaccinations to the community completely free of charge.