Flu is rising rapidly across the U.S., driven by a new variant of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday that after a slow start to flu season in early December, much of the country is now seeing a jump in cases.

Visits to health care providers were also up 6 percent this week for respiratory illness as the flu sweeps across the country.

As flu cases are surging across the United States, here's what to know about whether or not you can still get the vaccine.

That all followed a huge spike in flu activity in New York City, Long Island, and North Jersey in the first week of December. It has also been an early start — about a month early — for this year’s flu season, and infectious-disease experts warn that we haven’t hit the peak yet.

Tennessee experiences high flu rates before New Year's Eve. Health experts recommend flu shots and preventive measures as cases surge regionally.

The flu season is hitting in full force, especially in New York, Colorado and Louisiana, where flu-like activity is very high, according to the CDC.

Local reporting and CDC maps indicate that flu and RSV infections are rising in Georgia, with doctors observing an uptick in cases as the winter respiratory season begins.

Noah Smothers is the second child to die in Alabama from flu-related complications. Officials warn of a flu season that is on the rise