Six more US children died of influenza last week, for a total of 66 pediatric deaths this respiratory illness season, as flu rates remained moderate to very high in different regions of the country, per the weekly FluView update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Of all pediatric deaths this season, 90% who were eligible for vaccination were unvaccinated. This age-group has been particularly vulnerable, with high-severity illness, while both adults and older adults are currently categorized as having moderate-severity illness.
The 2024-25 influenza season saw 289 pediatric deaths—the most reported in a non-pandemic flu season since the CDC began tracking child flu deaths in 2004.
Levels of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also high and growing in many parts of the country, with elevated emergency department (ED) visits among children younger than one year and those aged one to four years. Hospital admissions are highest among infants younger than one year. COVID-19 rates are still elevated and are growing in some states, but ED visits for the virus are decreasing.
Flu case numbers growing in 9 states
Flu test positivity was slightly higher last week than the week before, at 18.6%, and outpatient visits for respiratory illness reached the 4.6% mark, up from 4.4% the previous week. The cumulative flu hospitalization rate per 100,000 people was 67.0, with 14,656 admitted last week. Eight regions reported moderate flu rates, while 24 rated them as high or very high. Case numbers are growing in nine states.
CDC continues to expect that the fall and winter respiratory disease season in the United States will likely have a similar number of combined peak hospitalizations due to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV compared to last season.
Influenza A activity is declining, at 67.2%, while influenza B has been rising in most areas over the past three weeks (32.8%). Of 1,126 collected influenza A viruses that underwent additional genetic characterization since late September, 92% were the subclade K variant, which has mutations that allow it to skirt immunity conferred by the current flu vaccine formula.
Community viral activity detected through wastewater sampling showed moderate levels of SARS-CoV-2 and RSV but low levels for influenza, per the CDC, but WastewaterSCAN data show high levels of SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV, and human metapneumovirus (HMPV).
Cumulative flu season totals are at 23 million illnesses, 300,000 hospitalizations, and 19,000 deaths. “CDC continues to expect that the fall and winter respiratory disease season in the United States will likely have a similar number of combined peak hospitalizations due to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV compared to last season,” the agency said.