Flu activity at highest levels across the US
Flu continues to visit misery across the US, with all but four states showing high or very high levels of activity as a new virus strain called subclade K continues to spread, reports BritPanorama.
According to the latest data published Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), doctor visits for fever combined with cough or sore throat — common flu symptoms — have reached the highest level of respiratory illness since at least the 1997-98 flu season.
Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, remarked, “This is definitely a banner year. It’s the worst we’ve had in at least 20 years. We’re seeing a majority of the country is experiencing very high levels of activity, and we’re still in the thick of it.” She noted that it is striking to observe such an intense season following last year’s severe flu season, as these extreme years typically do not occur consecutively.
Rivers cautioned that while data does not indicate a peak in flu activity yet, the CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics is beginning to see signs that the season may be reaching its apex in terms of intensity. “We may be at or near peak week,” she added.
Nearly all US states reported high or very high levels of flu activity in the latest data. Only Montana and Vermont reported low levels of activity, while South Dakota and West Virginia reported moderate levels. Nevada did not report flu data this week but recorded high levels of flu activity in the previous report.
Currently, the severity of the flu season — indicated by hospitalization rates — is not yet exceptional. The CDC states that the cumulative hospitalization rate is the third highest for this point in the season since the 2010-11 period, though this could change as case numbers rise. The agency estimates that at least 11 million people have contracted the flu this season; 120,000 have been hospitalized, and 5,000 individuals have died.
Moreover, a report of a child’s death recently raised the total number of pediatric fatalities this season to nine. Flu vaccinations for children have declined from 53% during the 2019-20 flu season to 42% at the same point this season.
This flu data coincided with an announcement from the US Department of Health and Human Services regarding a plan to change the childhood vaccine schedule. The adjustments would recommend that children receive flu vaccines only after consultation with a healthcare provider, a provision termed shared clinical decision-making, potentially complicating access to vaccines.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases, criticized the shift, stating, “To back off on a flu recommendation in the midst of a pretty severe flu year seems to me to be pretty tone-deaf, and that’s coming off an influenza year where we had the most childhood deaths from influenza in many years.”
Vaccination rates are also down among adults, declining from nearly 61 million during the 2019-20 flu season to approximately 48 million this year, according to CDC data.
Despite these statistics, Rivers indicated that she does not believe the lower vaccination rates are contributing to the high case volume this year. “The vaccine is not really expected to protect against infection and therefore transmission. It’s really just about preventing severe illness,” she explained.
Instead, she attributes the intensity of the current flu outbreak to the new strain — subclade K, which represents most viruses analysed by labs. This strain is sufficiently different from flu viruses previously encountered, thus allowing it to circumvent existing immune defenses.
Subclade K emerged after strains had been selected for this year’s flu vaccines, suggesting that the vaccines may provide only partial protection against it.
Flu season continues to unfold, bringing with it significant public health challenges and ongoing evaluations of preventive measures.
