"By the time infections had subsided in May, as many as 1.1 million Americans were estimated to have been hospitalized and as many as 100,000 had died. Among them were 280 children the highest number recorded in a non-pandemic year since health agencies began tracking the virus in 2004. Some of that misery was likely avoidable."
"A CDC analysis of hospitalized flu patients across 14 states found that nearly 90% had at least one underlying conditionand yet fewer than a third had received a flu shot. Other CDC data reveal a particularly troubling trend: a steady decline in vaccination rates among vulnerable groups. Flu vaccination rates among pregnant women have dropped consistently since the 2019-2020 flu season, when nearly 57% of pregnant women were vaccinated, compared to last year's nadir of 38%."
Last year's flu season was prolonged and severe, with up to 1.1 million hospitalizations and as many as 100,000 deaths by May. The season included 280 child fatalities, the highest number in a non‑pandemic year since 2004. The flu began rising in November and peaked in February 2025, prompting school closures and hospital crowding. CDC analyses show nearly 90% of hospitalized patients had at least one underlying condition, yet fewer than one‑third had been vaccinated. Vaccination rates declined among pregnant women and children, and most vaccine‑eligible children who died had not been vaccinated.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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