This years flu bug has brought a lot of Orillia and Simcoe county residents to their knees and put them out of action for up to two weeks.
The flu this year arrived early in the region and its making more people sick that in the past years.
Bill Mindell is the Director of Clinical Service at the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and says the flu usually peaks in February or March, but this year it peaked during the Christmas and New Year period.
He says its not just the general public who are being knocked down by the virus, a number of seniors homes also have been hit hard and the Health unit is dealing with outbreaks at 8 institutions in Simcoe Muskoka.
Mindell says a lot of people received their flu shot last year during the H1N1 scare and that virus is not playing much of a role in causing sickness.
He says another virus, H3N2 is the bug that is causing a lot of grief in the region.
Mindell says all age groups can get very sick from the virus, but its the elderly or those with weakened immune systems who will get the sickest and develop complications or could die from influenza.
He says that is one of the reasons Hospital emergency rooms are clogged this year right across the Province
Mindell says the best defence againist the flu is getting a flu shot and this years vaccine is a good match with the virus that is circulating throughout the community.
Another reason he suspects the flu is worse this year than in the past is a lot of people did not get their flu shot not just in Simcoe Muskoka but all across the province.
He says its not to late to get a flu shot, but it does take about two weeks before the immunity kicks in.
