Flu Season Takes a Toll: What's Happening and Why?

The flu is making a strong comeback this season. The CDC has labeled the 2025-26 flu season as "moderately severe. " This is a big jump from last year's numbers. So far, there have been at least 11 million illnesses, 120, 000 hospitalizations, and 5, 000 deaths. Last year, the numbers were much lower. Experts point to several reasons for this surge. Holiday travel, low vaccination rates, and misinformation are all playing a role. The flu is expected to keep spreading for several more weeks. The dominant strain this year is Influenza A(H3N2). It makes up over 91% of the flu cases. Out of 389 samples collected since September, 90. 5% belong to a specific variant called subclade K.Hospitals are feeling the pressure. In the last week of December, about 33, 301 flu patients were admitted. This is a sharp increase from earlier weeks. Outpatient visits for respiratory illnesses are also up, making up 8. 2% of all healthcare visits. The flu has claimed nine pediatric lives this season. The CDC reported one more flu-related pediatric death last week. There's a mismatch between the vaccine and the circulating strains. However, experts still recommend getting vaccinated. It can reduce the risk of severe disease. So far, about 130 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed this season.