All articles tagged with #flu
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military will drop the universal annual flu vaccine mandate, allowing troops to opt in if they choose. He framed the move as ending an overly broad requirement to strengthen war-fighting capabilities, while public health experts warn it could weaken readiness by increasing flu cases, missed duty days and costs.
Flu, COVID-19 (including BA.3.2), RSV and norovirus are circulating this spring; their symptoms overlap, so you need a test to know which virus you have. Local wastewater data and community trends help gauge which virus is dominant where you live, and vaccination or boosters may be advised based on personal risk and local conditions.
A 13-year-old Kerrville, Texas, girl named Kaydin Ruiz developed life-threatening flu complications when influenza led to a severe strep pneumonia infection that caused clotting and organ failure, resulting in the amputation of three limbs; she remains hospitalized at Texas Children’s Hospital as her family raises awareness of flu risks and doctors urge vaccination to prevent such severe outcomes.
A 13-year-old Kerrville girl developed septic shock and multi-organ failure after influenza and a strep infection, leading to the amputation of three limbs. Her family is sharing her story to raise awareness and emphasize vaccination to help prevent similar outcomes.
This season’s U.S. flu vaccine performed poorly because a newly dominant H3N2 subclade (K) wasn’t well matched to the vaccine, leading to one of the lowest effectiveness rates in years (about 25%–30% in preventing illness severe enough to seek care; around 40% less likely for vaccinated children to need treatment). The winter surge was sharp (NYC called it the strongest in 20 years) with 16 states at times reporting high activity. CDC estimates roughly 27 million illnesses, 350,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths so far; about 101 pediatric deaths have occurred, most among unvaccinated or not-fully-vaccinated individuals. Adult vaccination is about 46.5%, and roughly 48% of kids were vaccinated as the season waned. Health officials say vaccines still curb severe illness and death, and WHO/FDA have advised updates to target subclade K for the next season.
U.S. FDA vaccine advisers unanimously endorsed including the A(H3N2) subclade K in next fall’s flu vaccines, aligning with WHO guidance; final approval rests with FDA Commissioner Makary. Subclade K has become the dominant strain in the Northern Hemisphere, highlighting the annual, uncertain process of strain selection. The season saw limited vaccine effectiveness and a high pediatric burden, with falling vaccination rates since the pandemic, alongside tens of millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations.
A Clinton County, Ohio teenager has died from the flu; authorities have not released the teen's age, vaccination status, or whether there were underlying health conditions. Health officials note that about 90% of reported child flu deaths this season have occurred in unvaccinated children, underscoring the ongoing vaccination discussion.
A Clinton County teenager died from the flu, the first local flu death since 2009. The 16-year-old Beavercreek High School student, Ryleigh Spurlock, died in December 2025. Health officials urge vaccination as the flu season can last through May, noting Clinton County had 120 flu-related hospitalizations in 2025; emergency signs include trouble breathing or bluish lips, and preventive steps include hand hygiene and staying home when sick. Greene County also reported Ohio's first pediatric flu death of the season.
Flu has surged this season while COVID-19 remains present but generally milder; the CDC estimates about 25 million flu infections, 330,000 hospitalizations, and 20,000 deaths, versus 3–9 million COVID illnesses, 96,000–170,000 hospitalizations, and 10,000–30,000 deaths. Vaccines and prior immunity are blunting severe outcomes for both, but flu’s circulating H3N2 mutation and uneven vaccination uptake keep the outlook uncertain, and studies suggest COVID-19’s acute impact may be waning even as questions about long-term effects and coinfections linger.
The Washington Post reports that RFK Jr., depicted as health secretary, has long campaigned against vaccines and has tied his own voice-change to the flu vaccine—an assertion medical experts say lacks scientific support. Amid a severe flu season, federal guidance was revised to no longer routinely recommend flu vaccines for children and adolescents, and Kennedy ordered an end to a government flu-vaccine ad campaign, signaling a notable shift in public health policy.
Bailey Cruse, a 16-year-old student at South Paulding High School in Paulding County, Georgia, died three days after flu-like symptoms led to sudden cardiac arrest and multi-organ failure; doctors say it’s rare for healthy teens to suffer such complications. Her family noted she had no preexisting conditions and was recovering at home before the sudden event, and the school will provide counselors upon return from winter break.
CNN reports that this flu season has the highest rate of doctor visits for flu-like illness since CDC surveillance began in 1997, with weekly updates tracking case rates and hospitalizations across states via CDC’s FluView data. The CDC estimates about 8% of the U.S. population gets sick each season, and young children as well as seniors are at higher risk, though data are preliminary and can change as new reports come in.
The FDA reversed its earlier decision and will review Moderna’s first mRNA-based influenza vaccine after Moderna agreed to conduct additional studies in older adults under a revised review process.
Massachusetts’ public health dashboard shows seven children and 253 adults have died from influenza this season, with the ages of the child deaths not disclosed. State officials urged people to get flu and COVID-19 vaccines to prevent severe illness and hospitalization as hospitals contend with rising cases.
A Fremont County child has died from flu-related complications in the 2025-2026 season as the H3N2 strain dominates. Nationwide, 52 pediatric flu deaths have been reported, with about 90% of the children not up to date on flu vaccination. Health officials urge updated vaccination, staying home when ill, covering coughs, and handwashing; antiviral meds are recommended for higher-risk groups when started quickly, and flu shots remain widely available.