United States: The recent flu season has taken more children’s lives than it has in 15 years, since the swine flu epidemic, with 216 children reported to have died, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported twelve more deaths.
Close to 2,900 children were admitted to hospitals in the United States due to the flu this week.
More about the news
As per the CDC estimations, of the 2024-25 season so far, there have been “at least 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths from flu so far,” which includes all ages.
According to CNN reports, the numbers have been “startlingly high” ever since the latest flu season began.
“The final death tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn’t counted until autumn,” reports added.
What else are the experts stating?
According to an article quote of Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics, he said, “This number that we have now is almost certainly an undercount and one that — when the season is declared over and they compile all the data — is almost certain to go up.”
CDC reports 216 child deaths this flu season, the most in 15 years – CBS News
— Janine M. Ziermann-Canabarro, PhD (@JMZiermann) May 3, 2025
The rise coincides with a drop in flu vaccinations. https://t.co/D3ABwtIVDL
Additionally, as per the public health giant, three types of viruses have been “co-circulating” this week: Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B viruses that were not specified, deseret.com reported.
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy stated that almost nine percent of the children died from influenza-associated encephalopathy and encephalitis, the most dangerous neurologic complications of the flu.
However, as there’s no national surveillance specifically for the neurologic complications, “it is unknown if the numbers of cases this season vary from expected numbers,” the report stated.
Flu may be declining
As CNN reports, the good news is that seasonal flu activity is declining. But the bad news is this was a “high severity season overall and for all age groups.”
That title was the last to be used in the 2017/2018 season. The rate of hospitalization is the highest if we consider the last period, which was from 2010 to 2011.
The report also pointed out that there were no identified cases of bird flu in the past week.
Aside from encouraging people to get vaccinated against the influenza flu, the CDC advises individuals who contract the flu to get prescription antiviral medications as early as possible, particularly when they are in the high-risk category of severe illnesses.