Flu-like illness activity now at highest rate on record, new CDC data shows
Flu activity is continuing to climb across the U.S. as hospitalizations rise, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The percent of outpatient visits for respiratory illnesses are now at the highest rate on record.
About 8% of visits to a health care provider were labeled as flu-like illness, surpassing any levels seen since 1997, the earliest for which data is available. Flu-like illness accounts for patients that have a fever as well as a cough and/or sore throat.
These visits are largely among children and young adults. About 35% of outpatient visits for a respiratory illness were among people unde. 24 years old and children under age 5 made up about 20% of those.
The CDC estimates there have been 120,000 hospitalizations so far this season, a 48.1% increase from the prior week.
Additionally, the CDC says there have been at least 11 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths due to flu so far this season, including at least nine pediatric deaths.
In New York, health officials recently reported the highest number of flu hospitalizations recorded in a single week.
"This is really quite a severe flu season right now," Dr. James McDonald, health commissioner for New York state, told "Good Morning America" on Saturday.
Recently, New York also reported a record-breaking number of flu cases in a single week with 72,133 infections for the week ending Dec. 20, according to health department.
Data shows that the majority of this season's cases are linked to a new flu strain called subclade K -- a variant of the H3N2 virus, which is itself a subtype of influenza A.
Subclade K has been circulating since the summer in other countries and was a main driver of a spike in flu cases in Canada, Japan and the U.K.
Of the 994 flu samples tested since Sept. 30, nearly all were influenza A. Of those samples that underwent further testing roughly 90% were H3N2, CDC data shows.
Experts expect flu-like illnesses to continue to climb in the coming weeks and warn that this season's peak has likely not been reached yet.
In addition to influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also circulating this time of year and are contributing to respiratory illness activity.
Currently, the CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older, with rare exceptions, get an annual flu vaccine.
The federal health agency states on its website that getting an annual flu shot prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctors' visits every year and is especially important for those at higher risk of serious complications.
Amid surging cases and hospitalizations, the number of adults and kids who have received a flu shot remains relatively unchanged. As of Dec. 13, around 42.2% of adults and 42.3% of kids have received the flu vaccine despite the flu shot being widely available across the country.
Last season, 289 children died from flu and nearly all were unvaccinated. This was the highest number of deaths ever recorded since tracking pediatric deaths became mandatory in 2004. One additional pediatric death was reported this week from the 2024-2025 flu season to reach the record.
