(CNN) - The flu has been spreading fiercely across the United States, with 41 states reporting widespread activity.

That will cost employers and businesses big time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC says the seasonal flu will cost businesses nearly $10.5 billion in direct costs for hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults, and that number does not include such costs as sick pay, work delays and lost productivity.

The CDC recommends everyone six-months-old and older get vaccinated.

CNN