ATLANTA - The worst of the U.S. flu season appears to be over. <br>
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that the virus peaked in late February, and case reports have dropped steadily since then. <br>
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At the peak, more than 25 percent of possible flu specimens sent to a nationwide network of doctors and labs tested positive for the virus. That number has since fallen to about 20 percent. <br>
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The flu peaked much earlier in the previous two seasons -- posing a problem because the early peaks were compounded by shortages of flu vaccine and delays in its delivery. <br>
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This year's flu season was milder. Health officials say the vaccine cooked up to fight the flu this year was well-matched against the strains of virus that circulated most commonly. <br>
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Flu kills as many as 20,000 Americans each year.
