Overview
- CDC estimates through Dec. 20 list at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths this season.
- About 19,000 people were hospitalized with flu in the most recent week reported, roughly twice the prior week, as most states report high or very high activity.
- Genetic testing indicates H3N2 subclade K accounts for the vast majority of recent U.S. cases and is driving an unusually early surge.
- New York recorded a weekly record of roughly 71,000 cases; eight pediatric deaths have been reported and emergency visits are rising fastest among children.
- Vaccine uptake is lagging and the shot is not a perfect match, yet experts and early U.K. data point to protection against severe disease, with clinicians urging timely antiviral use for high‑risk patients.