The U.S. is officially in flu season, with health officials reporting a surge in cases across many regions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there’s been a clear spike in laboratory tests and emergency room visits related to flu-like symptoms.
CDC epidemiologist Alicia Budd says these numbers have been steadily climbing for weeks, confirming that flu season is now in full swing. Thirteen states last week reported high or very high levels of flu activity—twice as many as the previous week. Tennessee is among them, especially around Nashville, where Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt University says a local clinic has seen up to a quarter of its patients showing flu-like symptoms.
Louisiana is another hotspot. Dr. Catherine O’Neal, an infectious disease specialist at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, says this week brought a noticeable jump in cases, with parents calling out of work due to flu and seeking testing.
It’s important to remember that several illnesses can mimic flu symptoms, including COVID-19 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). Current CDC data indicate COVID-19 hospitalizations have been dropping since summer, though the virus is still classified as moderate nationwide, with higher levels in some regions like the Midwest based on wastewater analyses. RSV hospitalizations rose earlier and may now be leveling off, but they still appear somewhat more common than flu admissions in parts of the country.
Officials declared the start of flu season after considering multiple factors, like lab test results and hospital data. No single flu strain is dominating so far, and it’s still too early to know how well the current flu vaccine matches the circulating strains. Last winter’s season stretched over 21 weeks and saw an estimated 28,000 deaths, including 205 pediatric fatalities—an unusually high toll for children. Experts point to a prolonged season and lower vaccination rates as contributing factors.
Right now, about 41% of U.S. adults have received a flu shot, mirroring last year’s pace. Among kids, however, the vaccination rate dropped from 44% a year ago to 41%. COVID-19 vaccination rates are even lower, with only 21% of adults and 11% of children up to date. As holiday gatherings approach, health experts recommend getting vaccinated for both COVID-19 and the flu, if you haven’t done so already.