The CDC is saying that doctors' visits for flu illnesses are at their highest levels in 15 years.

Joining us with how to protect ourselves is emergency medicine physician, Dr. Stephanie Widmer.

Dr. Widmer, thanks for being here.

Thank you for having me.

So let's talk about this.

We've got this map here, and it's really showing that respiratory illness activity levels, much of it is the flu is listed as very high in 12 states, high in 19 states.

Why are we seeing these numbers?

So lots of different reasons why we could be seeing these very high levels of the flu, just to name a few.

Vaccination rates are still incredibly low right now.

Less than 45% of adults have received their flu vaccine.

The strains that are going around happen to be very, very contagious and can cause severe illness, so lots of people seeking medical care.

Believe it or not, the COVID-19 precautions that were in place in prior seasons, people were masking, people were practicing social distancing, and now that those precautions have been lifted, more people are being exposed to the flu.

And we've just had a rough start to the season.

The flu season started early, and it spread very quickly, so it's been quite a winter.

Yeah, it feels like everyone I know had the flu.

Okay, so we've heard the symptoms, right?

Fever, chills, body aches, abdominal pain.

When should you see a doctor?

So good reasons to seek medical care, if you are too weak to walk, if you can't eat, if you can't drink water, if you can't hold anything down, if you feel short of breath, any difficulty breathing, dizziness, confusion, those are all really good reasons to seek medical attention.

We have about 30 seconds, but let's talk about prevention, because that's always the best medicine.

What should we do?

Prevention is key.

Getting vaccinated, washing your hands, hand hygiene is key, avoiding crowded places, and if you can't avoid crowded places, being cautious in crowded places, and just staying clean, not touching your eyes.

Not too late for the flu shot.

Definitely not too late for the flu shot.

CDC is still recommending it, and it takes some time for that immunity to build, so the sooner you can get your flu shot, the better.

All right, Dr. Stephanie Woodward, thank you so much.

Thank you.

Always a pleasure to have you here.