If it seems as though illness has been more prevalent in your school, church, office and other circles this winter, you’re not imagining things. According to Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, this year’s flu season has seen a stronger beginning than is typical.

“You know, the typical pattern is that we see a relatively modest dip around the holidays, and then we see our major peak in mid-February,” he said, according to a report by WDTN-TV. “What our data is showing us is that already, this year’s flu is having numbers that are consistently well above what we saw last year.”

Those numbers include more than 6,700 Buckeye State residents hospitalized so far this season with influenza. Last year’s number for the same period was 3,700. Three children have died.

There is, of course, something we can do to protect ourselves and our families. Vanderhoff recommends particularly those under age 11 or over age 65 consider getting a flu shot, if they have not already done so.

It’s not too late.

“We usually see our peak of flu season hit us in mid-February, (it) takes the flu shot around two weeks to become fully effective,” Vanderhoff told WDTN. “So if you have not been vaccinated, this is an ideal time to go out and get that flu shot.”

Continue other best practices for stemming the spread of any contagious illness by frequently washing hands, staying home if you are ill and considering a face covering in crowded places. Remember the risks when traveling, too. Most of our region is experiencing high influenza activity levels. In fact, only Alaska, Nevada, Florida, New Hampshire, Wyoming and the U.S. Virgin Islands are experiencing minimal to low influenza-like illness activity levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest FluView map.

Remember, we are still a few weeks away from what is normally the peak of flu season in Ohio. Do what you can to protect yourself and your family, now.