1st Doses of Swine Flu Vaccine Set for Early October

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"The flu season has begun," Jernigan said. "It's begun early and nearly all the influenza we are seeing is this novel H1N1 virus," he said.

As has been the case since the H1N1 flu first surfaced in Mexico and the United States last April, children and young adults are being hit the hardest, Jernigan said. "We are finding that flu is being reported in all 50 states with 21 states reporting widespread activity," he said.

"We don't see that kind of activity this time of year, usually," he added. "It's a very strange thing for us to see that amount of influenza at this time of year."

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Currently, twice the usual number of people are seeking medical attention for flu, Jernigan said, adding most of the cases are moderate infections.

"We do expect a whole lot more illness in the coming weeks and throughout the coming U.S. flu season," Jernigan said. "We expect if the H1N1 remains the predominant strain that more younger people will be affected."

That's the reverse of what usually happens with seasonal flu, which strikes hardest in the elderly.

Jernigan said it's important to get an H1N1 flu shot when the vaccine becomes available. People should also get a seasonal flu shot -- which is available now -- because the seasonal flu will start to circulate in the coming weeks, he said.

According to the CDC, those first in line for swine flu shots should be:

• Pregnant women.
• Children and young people from 6 months through 24 years of age.
• Health-care workers.
• Adults with chronic health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease, or weakened immune systems, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ-transplant recipients and people infected with the AIDS-causing HIV virus.

People who should get a seasonal flu shot include:

• Adults 50 and older.
• All children age 6 months to 18 years old.
• Pregnant women.
• People with chronic health problems like asthma, heart disease or a weakened immune system.
• Health-care workers.
• Caregivers of people at high-risk, including babies younger than 6 months of age.

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