The United States is experiencing the beginning of the flu season, with several states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases increasing in other areas, according to health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on Friday, indicating very high flu activity in Louisiana and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, and South Carolina. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, also reported high flu activity, with health officials declaring an influenza epidemic earlier this month.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert from Vanderbilt University, stated, “We’re off to the races,” noting the early start of the flu season. Typically, the winter flu season begins in December or January, but last year it started in October, and this year it is making an entrance in November.
While flu activity was moderate but rising in New York City, Arkansas, California, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, Alaska did not report data last week despite experiencing high flu activity for several weeks.
Tracking flu cases during the season relies partly on reports from individuals with flu-like symptoms who visit doctors or hospitals. However, many people with the flu are not tested, making it challenging to confirm their infections. The presence of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses further complicates the situation.
Alicia Budd, who leads the CDC’s flu surveillance team, stated that several indicators show a continued increase in flu cases. The predominant flu virus circulating this year typically leads to fewer hospitalizations and deaths among the elderly, the group most affected by the flu.
According to the CDC, there have been at least 780,000 flu illnesses, 8,000 hospitalizations, and 490 flu-related deaths, including one child, so far this fall.
Budd mentioned that the effectiveness of the current flu vaccines is not yet clear, but they are well-matched to the flu strains circulating. Current CDC data indicates that approximately 35% of U.S. adults and 33% of children have received a flu vaccine, which is lower compared to last year’s numbers.
Flu vaccination rates are higher than rates for COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Only about 14% of adults and 5% of children have received the recommended COVID-19 vaccine, while approximately 13.5% of adults aged 60 and older have received one of the available RSV shots.
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