The flu vaccine being used this year turns out to be fairly effective, federal officials announced just as New Jersey's delayed flu season starts to take off.
If you've managed to avoid flu this year, don't pat yourself on the back just yet: New Jersey's flu season started later than usual, and is just now beginning to crank up.
Luckily, this year's version of the flu vaccine turns out to be a pretty good match for the strains that have appeared, federal health officials say.
Last year's flu vaccine was a dud: It didn't guard against some of the strains that were most common.
The vaccine being given this year is 59 percent effective against this season's flu types, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.
"This means that getting a flu vaccine this season reduced the risk of having to go to the doctor because of flu by nearly 60 percent," said Joseph Bresee, chief of CDC's Epidemiology and Prevention Branch.
Flu activity is high in northeastern and central counties of the state, from the New York border south to include Ocean County, according to the N.J. Department of Health's respiratory virus surveillance report for the middle of February.
Flu activity is listed as moderate for the western part of the state north of Trenton. The southern portion of the state is still enjoying low levels of flu.
Bergen and Monmouth counties appear to be the state's flu hot spots so far this season.
The state's overall flu rate is considered to be moderate. Last year at this time it was rated as high.
Visits to the emergency room and infections within long-term care facilities are lower than in previous years - and on track to remain in that low category.
School absenteeism, however, matches the average for previous years.
So far no New Jersey child has died of the flu. Nationwide, 11 children have died.
About 60 percent of the New Jersey flu cases that have been analyzed have been the A strain, with the remainder being the B strain or the 2009 "swine flu" strain.
It's not too late to get a flu shot, according to the state health department, since the flu season in New Jersey typically lasts through April. You can locate a location for flu shots by using the department's Flu Finder website. (Search under N.J. and "find flu shot.")