Some people around the country found Christmas, Hanukkah and other celebrations too taxing to enjoy. That’s because bouts of influenza have been as common as hearing the phrase “Happy Holidays” and made the season not-so-bright for many.

And for some it’s been grim: There have been nine deaths in Washington alone this season so far. Hospital emergency rooms across the state and nation have been extremely busy taking care of people with the flu, and some providers have had to turn people away.

Flu sufferers began arriving at Grays Harbor Community Hospital on Dec. 18, and the numbers continued to rise through Dec. 20. The number of cases spiked the day after Christmas, when about two dozen people tested positive for the flu. Cases only began dropping significantly on New Year’s Day.

Here in Aberdeen “there’s been a lull,” said Rosemary Chapman, the hospital’s RN certified in infection control. But it’s been the most active flu season Chapman has seen since 2009, she said.

Seniors and children younger than age 2 are vulnerable to the ill-effects of the flu. So are pregnant women and people with underlying chronic and respiratory diseases, said Karolyn Holden, director of Grays Harbor County Public Health and Social Services Department.

Winter break at local schools might have helped slow the transmission of the flu in this area. Bringing children together at school allows them to catch it from one another and also furthers the spread by bringing it home and into the rest of the community, Holden said.

Influenza A (H3N2) is the dominant flu strain across the country this season and is usually more severe than the H1N1 forms. It’s referred to as the “Hong Kong” form of the flu. H3N2 types are part of this season’s flu vaccine, however.

Both Chapman and Holden said obtaining the flu vaccine is the best method to avoid getting the disease, which causes headaches, fever, sore throats and aches and pains.

Rest and staying well hydrated are some of the best ways to cope with the disease.

“If you have sore throat and a temperature of 100.4 you need to not be going to school and work,” Holden stressed. “Stay home.”

People should seek medical treatment if suffering with a fever that won’t subside or decreases and rises again. Having trouble breathing, noticing neck rigidity, bouts of diarrhea and vomiting — especially if one can’t keep down fluids — also indicates someone should seek help from a health professional.

Holden and Chapman said people can avoid spreading the flu and many other illnesses by covering their coughs and sneezes with the crook of their elbow. The also advise to frequently wash your hands, keep them away from your eyes, nose and mouth, and get rid of any used tissues.

The hospital took precautions to avoid further spreading the flu, which included having personnel who haven’t received flu shots wear masks and isolating people with the flu. They also discourage people feeling under the weather to not visit loved ones in the hospital because they could make sick people sicker if they pass along the flu, Chapman added.

The official end of the flu season is April 1.