CDC Says Flu Hospitalizations Rising Dramatically
Influenza (flu) hospitalizations have significantly risen across the United States in recent weeks. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospitalizations have reached levels that are generally not seen until later in the flu season, around December.
So far this season, the CDC estimates that the flu has caused at least 880,000 illnesses, 6,900 hospitalizations and 360 deaths. Flu hospitalizations are rising across all age groups, especially children. The surge comes as other respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are also spiking in kids. The first flu-associated pediatric death of the 2022-23 season was also recently reported.
“It’s unusual, but we’re coming out of an unusual COVID pandemic that has really affected influenza and other respiratory viruses that are circulating.”
- Lynnette Brammer, epidemiologist and head of the CDC’s domestic influenza surveillance team
Doctors are not required to report each positive flu test to public health officials, so the CDC monitors likely flu activity by looking at “influenza-like illnesses.” These include a fever of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit and a cough or sore throat without any other known cause.
While the flu and similar viral illnesses are rising nationwide, they’re notably high across the Southeast and the East Coast—from Texas to Georgia and South Carolina to New Jersey.
What’s Next?
There are early signs that this year’s flu shot will help keep people out of the hospital. A CDC report on Chile’s flu season found that their vaccine was 49% protective against flu-related hospitalizations. That might seem low, but from 2015 to 2020, flu shot effectiveness in the United States ranged from 29% to 48%.
It’s unclear whether this year’s flu shots in the United States will be as effective as they were during Chile’s flu season. However, the shots used in both countries have one of the same targets—the H3N2 flu strain—which accounts for a majority of detected U.S. flu cases.
With the flu, RSV and other respiratory viruses circulating, the CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu shot. The agency said that children up to 8 years old might need two shots this year, especially if they’ve never had the flu vaccine.
Contact your doctor if you have concerns about your health or are experiencing flu-like symptoms.
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