If you live in the United States, you may have noticed that “everyone” is catching the flu. This is the impression that remains as we reach the peak of winter in the northern hemisphere. Of course, the “everyone” is an exaggeration, but the number of cases this year is undoubtedly above normal.
What you need to know about this flu season
1. Countries from India to the US are seeing abnormally high peaks of flu cases
India is facing its worst seasonal flu outbreak since the pandemic. Some hospitals in Bangalore, in the South, are reporting a 20% increase in respiratory infections compared to last year.
The US is also facing the worst flu season in 15 years and shows no signs of slowing down, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There have been at least 24 million cases, 310,000 hospitalizations, and 13,000 flu deaths so far this season.
2. In the US, flu deaths have surpassed COVID-19 deaths for the first time since the pandemic
According to the CDC, in the week ending January 25, nearly 1.7% of all deaths nationwide were attributed to the flu, compared to about 1.5% being the result of COVID-19 – this is the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that this has happened.
One theory for this is that there are higher levels of immunity to circulating strains due to the intense wave of COVID-19 last summer.
In the week ending February 1, the number of hospital visits with a flu diagnosis was 8%, compared to 1% of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
3. Less vaccination than last year
The CDC reported that, as of November 30, just over one-third of children in the US — 37% — had received flu vaccines, down from 43% at the same time last year.
But the vaccine may also be somewhat less effective this season. The flu vaccine changes year to year, based on scientists’ predictions of which will be the most dominant circulating strains.
An early report from the CDC in October 2024 suggested that the effectiveness of the flu vaccine in keeping children five years old or younger out of the hospital may be 39%. In contrast, last year’s vaccine was estimated to be up to 61% effective in preventing hospitalization in children.
4. Scientists are trying to develop a more effective flu vaccine
A vaccine that stimulates antibodies against different flu strains could trigger a much stronger immune defense, according to researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers are working to achieve this outcome.
5. The flu season may worsen before it improves
In many places, including the UK and the US, the flu season started exceptionally early. In the US, there seems to have been a drop followed by a second peak of flu activity this winter. More cases are expected in the second half. This means that the number of deaths could rise to 20,000 to 30,000, a quite significant number.
Source: USA Today