> At a Glance
> – 8.2 % of outpatient visits last week were for flu-like illness-the highest since 1997
> – At least 5,000 deaths recorded this season, including nine children
> – Forty-five states now report high to very high flu activity
> – Why it matters: The surge is still climbing, holiday gatherings aren’t yet counted, and the U.S. has dropped universal childhood flu shots
Flu is sweeping the country at a pace not seen in decades, pushing doctors’ offices and hospitals to near-capacity levels just as the federal government scales back vaccination recommendations for kids.
Record-Breaking Surge
Nearly 1 in 10 outpatient visits nationwide-8.2 %-were for flu-like symptoms during the week ending Dec. 27, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s the highest proportion since the CDC began tracking such visits in 1997.
The season has already produced:
- 11 million illnesses
- 120,000 hospitalizations
- At least 5,000 deaths, including nine children
Forty-five states are now experiencing high to very high flu activity. Only Montana, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia remain in the low-to-moderate range; Nevada’s data were insufficient.
> Krista Kniss, CDC influenza division epidemiologist, warned:
> “We’re not anywhere close to being done.”
Hospitals Feel the Strain
Emergency departments report a sharp rise in patients with cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, diarrhea and intense body aches.
> Dr. Nick Cozzi, Rush University Medical Center emergency medical services director, said:
> “I see a lot of patients coming in with cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, diarrhea and bone-chilling body aches.”
Many patients are also battling Covid or RSV simultaneously. Lower-than-normal oxygen levels are prompting more admissions and supplemental-oxygen care.
At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, flu hospitalizations more than doubled in the past two weeks compared with the previous two-week period. The jump is running about a month earlier than last year.
> Dr. Emily Boss, director of pediatric otolaryngology, noted:
> “We don’t know yet what the peak will look like compared to prior seasons.”
Policy Shift Amid Pediatric Toll
The 2024-25 season follows the deadliest for children since pediatric death tracking began. The CDC recently logged an additional child death from last season, bringing the total to 289-surpassing even the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.
On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services removed the flu vaccine from the official childhood immunization schedule, ending the longstanding universal recommendation for kids.
> Dr. Sean O’Leary, American Academy of Pediatrics infectious-disease committee chair, said:
> “To back off on a flu recommendation in the midst of a pretty severe flu year seems to me to be pretty tone-deaf.”
As of Monday afternoon, the CDC website still advises: “Everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions, should get a flu vaccine.”
A Family’s Warning
Three-year-old Naya Kessler has been hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center since Wednesday after testing positive on Dec. 29. Despite receiving this season’s flu shot, she endured relentless fevers and dehydration.
> Kat Kessler, her mother, said:
> “I can’t even imagine how much worse it might be for her if we didn’t.”
Key Takeaways
- Flu-like visits are at a 30-year high and still climbing
- 45 states report intense activity; holiday impacts aren’t yet tallied
- Hospitals admit more patients requiring oxygen support
- Federal officials no longer list flu shots as routine for all kids
- Last season set a grim pediatric death record of 289
