Hospitalizations due to the flu have been the highest since 2010. This flu season has broken records and is expected to break more. NBC News has said that last season 110 children died of the flu.

The CDC’s acting director Anne Schuchat recommends treating any symptoms immediately.

“ If it looks like the flu, it most likely is,” Schuchat said in an interview with NBC. “ Taking medication early in its course can make the difference between a mild bout of flu and being hospitalized.”

With the flu season at its peak, experts don’t know how much longer the season will last. Even if a person contracts the flu, getting the vaccine can help to shorten it. It can also prevent contracting the second string of the illness.

People who are at the highest risk are young children, elderly, asthmatic people or diabetics. They should not wait to get their flu shot because they are more susceptible to influenza death.  

Some other things that will prevent getting or spreading the flu are things you would do with any other illness”

• Wash your hands after being in crowded areas
• Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze
• Stay home from school and/or work if you have flu symptoms
• Don’t share drinks with anyone until you have been cleared by a doctor
• Wipe off desks with a disinfectant before laying your face on it.
• Don’t be in close quarters with someone who is sick or experiencing symptoms