If your workplace still seems like a ghost town after the holidays, there could be a particularly concerning reason this year.

Health officials say that Florida and the entire nation are facing an unusually rough flu epidemic.

The impact is severe enough that Florida Surgeon General, Dr. Scott Rivkees, is urging people to get vaccinated.

“Influenza is a contagious virus that can spread rapidly in our communities and cause severe illness resulting in hospitalization or death,” he explains. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid the flu; it reduces the spread of the virus and can also help make illnesses less severe for those who do still get sick.”

Graphic courtesy: Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds that seasonal flu activity across the U.S. is high and continues to increase, particularly over the past eight weeks.

The CDC estimates that more than six million people have been diagnosed with the flu. Of that number, 55,000 people were hospitalized. In addition, 2,900 people have died from the flu this season.