This flu season could be worse than usual and experts are saying that the height of flu season could be coincide with the holidays.

According to the CDC, since October 1st of this year, there have been over 13,400 confirmed cases of influenza, which is 6 (SIX) times more than there was last year. There has also been been widespread fly activity in 23 states including Texas and New Mexico.

Health officials are telling people to make sure they are protected, especially if they're going to be around children or the elderly. CDC's flu forecasters say that the increase in early cases of influenza puts the odds of flu season peaking during the holidays at the end of December at 30%, while it's still more likely to peak at the end of January, at 60%.

Since 2010, the flu virus as lead to hundreds of thousands of people being hospitalized, accounting for 12,000 to 56,000 deaths annually in the United States. So if you haven't yet, go get vaccinated, as it's your best chance to help prevent the flu from spreading.