Why is the flu so bad this year? Understanding its severity, vaccine patterns and other factors

The U.S. is in the midst of its first “high severity” flu season in seven years. Flu activity has slowed in recent weeks, but experts warn that the season isn’t over yet.

The U.S. is in the midst of its first “high severity” flu season in seven years.

Since October, there have been at least 37 million infections, 480,000 hospitalizations and 21,000 deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. As of last week, 98 children have died from influenza, the CDC reported. In some states, flu surges have been so bad that schools and entire districts have had to close down. 

The U.S. has also seen the highest rate of doctors visits for flu-like illnesses overall — which include influenza, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — in 15 years.

While flu activity has slowed in recent weeks, experts warn that the season isn’t over yet. 

“We may have months of disease and illness in front of us,” said Dr. Susan Donelan, an infectious disease doctor and medical director of health care epidemiology at Stony Brook Medicine in New York. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/why-flu-bad-2025-severity-vaccines-immunity-rcna194250

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