We are entering peak flu season, and a new variant known as subclade k is spreading quickly across the country, driving a sharp rise in illness and hospitalizations. Public health officials say this current wave may last for weeks to come.

Flu cases are continuing to spike in the United States. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that at least 5,000 people have died of the illness this year and that doctor's visits for flu have reached their highest level in decades.

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this year’s flu season is “moderately severe” with at least 11 million cases of the illness. Of those 11 million cases, there have been 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths so far, Reuters reported.

It is peak cold and flu season, and this year’s influenza virus strain is making it a season to remember. 90% of flu cases this year are tied to influenza A strain, which has undergone several mutations to become more contagious with more intense symptoms than flu strains from previous years.

Some Maryland health experts are concerned about new federal language on the flu shot that could lead to more children getting seriously sick from a preventable illness.

Low vaccination rates and a rapidly spreading influenza A strain are pushing toward an early, intense flu season.