Overview
- Outpatient visits for flu-like illness hit 8.2% in the week ending Dec. 27, the highest rate in CDC records, and hospitals admitted 33,301 influenza patients that week.
- The CDC estimates at least 11 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths so far this season, including nine pediatric deaths.
- Influenza A(H3N2) dominates testing, with about 90% of characterized H3N2 viruses belonging to subclade K; the vaccine is a partial match but still advised, with roughly 130 million doses distributed.
- Flu activity is high or very high across most of the country, with New York reporting record weekly cases and hospitalizations and Massachusetts at very high levels with fast-rising emergency visits.
- Hospitals in several regions have reinstated mask rules and visitor restrictions, and public health officials urge early antiviral treatment and vaccination as COVID-19 and RSV also circulate.