Flu Season Appears Milder

It’s early, but officials say the current flu season is shaping up to be gentler than last winter’s unusually brutal one.

In most parts of the country now, the flu strain causing the most illness is a somewhat milder virus. It tends not to cause as many hospitalizations and deaths as the kind of flu that dominated a year ago. Flu vaccines also work better against it.

Flu usually takes off around the end of the year and peaks around February.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported the latest flu numbers. Last week, flu was reported to be widespread in 30 states, up from 24 the week before.