Influenza is surging across the United States at a faster-than-usual pace, with hospitalizations nearly doubling in a single week and young children among those hit hardest — and doctors warn the season is nowhere near peaking.
As of December 27, 2025, CDC data show flu activity at “high” or “very high” levels in 48 states/jurisdictions, with 20 states/jurisdictions designated at the highest level (see map above, identified in dark purple).
Since October, CDC estimates at least 11 million people have been sickened, more than 120,000 have been hospitalized, and 5,000 have died.
One pediatric influenza-associated death was reported during Week 52, bringing the season total to nine pediatric deaths.
Influenza Season 2025-2026Pediatric DeathsWeek 52 (week ending Dec 27, 2025)1Week 515Week 502Week 491Week 48 (week ending Nov 29, 2025)0Weeks 40-470*TOTAL**9*
Influenza-associated Hospitalizations and Emergency Visits
Nationally, influenza test positivity increased to 32.9%, with the most frequently reported strain being influenza A(H3N2).
According to the CDC Week 52 update, an estimated 120,000 Americans have been hospitalized since October, and a total of 9,809 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported by FluSurv-NET sites.
The CDC reports a weekly hospitalization rate of 8.4 per 100,000 population for the week, which increased 1.2 percentage points from the previous week. The cumulative hospitalization rate observed in Week 52 was 28.1 per 100,000 population—the third highest cumulative rate at Week 52 since the 2010-11 season.
When examining rates by age, the highest rate of hospitalization per 100,000 population was among adults aged 65 and older (85.0 per 100,000), followed by children aged 0-4 years (32.6), adults aged 50-64 years (24.9), children aged 5-17 years (16.5), and adults aged 18-49 years (11.9).
Emergency room visits, meanwhile, are also increasing. Per the CDC, 8.3% of emergency department (ED) visits during Week 52 were due to influenza, increasing from 5.5% in Week 51 and 2.9% in Week 50.
The percentages increased week-to-week for all age groups (0-4 years, 5-17 years, 18-64 years, 65 years and older) and in all 10 HHS regions, the CDC reports.
Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza Hospitalizations Preliminary cumulative rates as of Jan 05, 2026
FluSurv-NET:: Entire Network :: Overall Age Group :: Weekly Rate
Outpatient Respiratory Illness Visits Skyrocket
Per CDC data, 8.2% of patient visits reported through ILINet were due to influenza-like illness (ILI), which is the highest reported rate for Week 52 in the last six years and more than double the national baseline of 3.1%.
Percentage of Outpatient Visits for Respiratory Illness Reported by The U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (IL|Net), Weekly National Summary, 2025-26 Season and Selected Previous Seasons. Source: CDC
As of December 27, 2025, CDC data show flu activity at “high” or “very high” levels in 48 states/jurisdictions, with 20 states/jurisdictions designated at the highest level (see map below, identified in dark purple).
ILI Activity Level, 2025-26 Influenza Season Week 52 ending Dec 27, 2025. Source: CDC
Influenza ActivityNumber of States/JurisdictionsStatesLow3 (including USVI)Montana, Vermont, USVIModerate2South Dakota, West Virginia High16 (including DC)Arizona, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, WyomingVery High32 (including New York City, Puerto Rico)Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, New York City, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Source: CDC. Data Unavailable: Nevada