Overview
- State data show 71,123 lab‑confirmed cases for the week ending Dec. 20, a 38% jump, with inpatient flu hospitalizations rising to 3,666, up 63% from the prior week.
- Officials report H3N2, including a subclade K variant, as the dominant strain, with concerns about vaccine match for infection but continued protection against severe illness.
- CDC estimates for the season reach roughly 4.6 million illnesses, 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 deaths, with very high activity reported in New York, New York City, Colorado and Louisiana.
- New York’s declaration of influenza as prevalent requires unvaccinated health care personnel to mask in patient areas, while authorities urge staying home when ill and starting antivirals within 48 hours for high‑risk patients.
- Rising transmission has strained urgent care and emergency departments in several regions and contributed to school closures in parts of Georgia and Kansas, as hospitals in New York track capacity closely.