US flu in US continue to rise overpassing fifteen million illnesses
Recent CDC data shows a record-high rate of young children seeking medical care for flu symptoms. More than 18% of doctor visits for children under age four are now flu-related, the highest level recorded since at least 2016.
“I have been watching the data over the past couple of weeks coming out, and concerned about the little kids and how sick we are seeing them come in,” said Anne Zink, an emergency medicine physician working with Yale’s PopHIVE tracking platform. She described overcrowded emergency rooms, noting: “We didn’t even have enough places to sit people in our lobby.”
Currently, about 7.2% of all health care visits are for flu-like illness, defined as fever with cough or sore throat, marking a seasonal record. Eight additional pediatric flu deaths were reported this week, bringing the total to 17 so far. Last year, 289 children died from flu, with approximately 90% of those unvaccinated.
CDC epidemiologist Carrie Reed commented, “There’s a lot of influenza out there right now. It’s going to continue to be elevated for a little bit longer.” The majority of infections are linked to a new H3N2 subvariant known as subclade K, which has circulated globally since summer and contributed to earlier outbreaks in countries such as Canada and Japan.
Vaccination coverage remains low, with only 43.5% of adults and 42.5% of children having received the flu shot as of Dec. 27. Public health officials continue to stress the importance of vaccination, noting that the current vaccine can protect against severe illness even if it is not a perfect match for the dominant strain.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” warned Dr. Michelle Morse, acting health commissioner for New York City, where flu levels remain very high despite some early signs of stabilization. The surge comes amid controversial federal guidance that has downplayed the need for vaccinations, which public health experts say conflicts with scientific recommendations.
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