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Flu deaths are currently on the rise within the U.S. There were a reported 19,053 flu-related hospitalizations in the week ending on Dec. 20, which was nearly double that of the previous weekThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “elevated” flu activity has been observed across the country 

Flu-related deaths are currently on the rise within the U.S. 

According to recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been over seven million cases of the flu this season — which have resulted in an estimated 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths. 

Additionally, there were a reported 19,053 flu-related hospitalizations in the week ending on Dec. 20 — an increase of over 9,000 cases as compared to the previous week — and deaths attributed to influenza have been trending upward week over week.

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There were additionally five influenza-related pediatric deaths reported the second-to-last week of the year, bringing the number of reported pediatric deaths in the 2025-2026 flu season to eight thus far.

The CDC also noted that “seasonal influenza activity is elevated and continues to increase across the country.”

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The vast majority of newly-reported cases are caused by a variant of Influenza A (H3N2) known as “subclade K,” which was first detected in Australia over the summer, according to NPR. 

Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told the outlet that “a large surge” of cases follow “anywhere we detect this virus.”

“The timing is not that much different from other flu seasons, but the number of cases, and how quickly those cases are increasing is something that is not usually seen this time of year,” he said.

“We just don’t have any sense of where [the upward trend] is going to stop,” he continued, adding that that’s “the big concern in most of the medical communities right now.”

Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told NPR that while the variant is not technically more severe than other flu strains, humans do not seem to have as strong an immunity to it as compared to past strains.

Person receiving vaccine (stock image).

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Medical experts agree that the best way to avoid getting the flu this year is to get a flu shot. 

While there has been some concern that this season’s flu vaccine — which was created before the new variant was detected — would not be as effective at preventing flu-related illness as vaccines in past years, preliminary data out of the U.K. indicates that the current vaccine is on par with past numbers.

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Despite the flu vaccine serving as the best known method for preventing flu-related illness and death, the CDC states that less than half of Americans — 42.2% — reported getting their flu shot as of Dec. 13, 2025.

But it isn’t too late to get vaccinated.

“It’s definitely not too late to get a flu vaccine if you haven’t done it already,” Lisa Grohskopf, a medical officer in the CDC’s influenza division, told NPR.