NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Vanderbilt University Medical Center says right now its emergency room is packed with people who have the flu -- according to the CDC, Tennessee is now in the red, meaning it's one of the worst states in America for flu.

Judy Reid says she and her husband were prepared for a wait when he needed to see a medical professional the day after Christmas.

"Primaries are closed and it's the only place you can go," Reid said.

She says every seat was taken at Vanderbilt's Belle Meade Walk-in Clinic. Depending on when they got there, we talked with people who had to wait for up to four hours. A line no one wants to be in.

"We're number eight on the list we got here at 10 a.m. and so we got a while but all we got all the time today so we'll be fine," Reid said.

VUMC's Dr. William Schaffner says that the long wait is because people are flooding their clinics and emergency rooms with cases of the flu and other respiratory diseases.

"Flu has arrived and it's storming around. There isn't any doubt for the last two or three weeks, flu has increased, and now it's increasing very, very aggressively," Dr. Schaffner said.

And we haven't even seen the effects of the holidays on the spread.

"It's a wonderful opportunity for this virus to spread from one person to another in all of those crowds and those family intimate gatherings. So we'll see even more flu going into January for sure," Dr. Schaffner said.

Dr. Schaffner says it's not too late to get the flu shot and if you want to take extra precautions - wear a mask.

"If you haven't had your flu vaccine, don't linger. Run, do not walk and get that influenza vaccine," Dr. Schaffner said.