While this flu season is still one of the worst seen in years, the first signs that infection rates are starting to level off were reported by U.S. health officials on Friday. As of Feb. 10th, a total of 43 states continued to experience widespread flu activity, down from 48 the week before, according to the latest surveillance report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There was also a slight drop in doctor visits for flu-like illness: 7.5 percent of patient visits during the week ending Feb. 10, down from 7.7 percent of patient visits the week before.

Flu-linked hospitalization rates continued to rise -from 59.9 per 100,000 people for the week ending Feb. 3rd, to 67.9 per 100,000 people for the week ending Feb. 10th, the findings showed. Pediatric flu deaths are also still increasing, with 84 children now dead from the flu so far this season, according to the CDC. Just Thursday, CDC officials pinpointed one reason why this flu season has been so brutal: the flu vaccine is only 25 percent effective against H3N2 influenza, which is causing most flu cases this year. Among children aged 6 months through 8 years old, however, the vaccine’s effectiveness is 59 percent, the agency reported.