A growing number of New Jerseyans are coming down with the flu.

According to New Jersey State Epidemiologist Dr. Tina Tan, all of the “usual suspect” strains of flu are now circulating in the Garden State.

“We’re seeing H1N1, the same stain that was circulating back in 2009," she said Wednesday.

There is ample supply of the flu vaccine available, however “it’s too early to know whether this current seasonal flu vaccine is a good match to what’s circulating in the season.”

Tan said every year millions of Americans get the flu, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands die.

 

According to the CDC, three children died from the flu in New Jersey over the course of the past year, while the total number of influenza related deaths in the Garden State is not known.

Tan said the flu season is just starting to rev up and “it’s too early to tell right now what our flu season is going to be like in terms of how severe flu illnesses will be. We tend to see increases in activity around January, February in New Jersey.”

She said anyone 6 months or older should get a flu shot.

“Particularly if you’re in high-risk categories, high-risk populations where you’re potentially more at risk of getting complications from flu.”

This would include “people with underlying medical conditions, like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, people who are 65 or older, young kids as well as pregnant women."

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