If the flu were a storm cloud, the influenza virus is hovering over America's Bread Basket on its way to the Southwest, according to data provided through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a slight drop in influenza-like illnesses across the country, but even so the season is still going strong.

This year is turning out to be a strong cough and cold season even though there are more flu shots being administered at retail, and those flu shots are a pretty good match to the popular strains this year — 99.4% of the H3N2 influenza viruses tested matched one of the three components of the 2012-2013 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine.

The rocketing incidence of flu has been characterized as the most severe in at least a decade, and it's only going to get worse. Or better, depending upon your perspective.

The influenza season is officially underway as flu incidence is already above the national threshold, Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters during a teleconference Monday.

In light of a decision by the Ontario government to expand the scope of practice for pharmacists to include administering flu shots, Shoppers Drug Mart has announced that it will offer vaccination clinics in more than 750 stores in Ontario and across Canada.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved what it called the first flu vaccine to prevent four strains of the influenza virus.

According to the most recent consumer snapshot survey by Interclick, 42% of Americans are planning to be immunized this year.

The typical flu season always coincides with the busiest travel period of the year, and last season that spelled trouble for more than 3 million U.S. vacationers whose trips were interrupted by flu-related illness, according to the Walgreens Flu Impact Report released Tuesday.

The World Health Organization's director-general Margaret Chan issued a statement on Tuesday that the H1N1...