WASHINGTON — Flu activity across the United States remains elevated but is beginning to slow, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday.
The 2024-25 flu season has been classified as “high severity” — the first season to receive this designation since 2017-2018 — impacting all age groups nationwide.
Flu Activity Trends Show Early Signs of Decline
Data for the week ending February 15 indicates a gradual decrease in flu-related doctor and emergency room visits:
- 6.8% of doctor’s office visits were for flu-like symptoms, a decline from 7.7% in the two weeks prior.
- Emergency department visits dropped to 6.4%, down from over 8% recorded earlier.
- 26.9% of flu tests returned positive — still higher than last season’s peak of 18.2%, but lower than the 31.4% observed in previous weeks.
Despite these improvements, the CDC reports that the flu season has already led to at least 33 million illnesses, 430,000 hospitalizations, and 19,000 deaths so far.
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Pediatric Cases Raise Concerns
Flu-related pediatric deaths remain a concern:
- 86 pediatric deaths have been recorded this season.
- 18 of these deaths occurred during the week ending February 15.
Respiratory Illnesses Remain High Nationwide
Beyond the flu, overall respiratory illness activity remains “high” across the country:
- 9 states are currently experiencing “very high” levels of respiratory virus activity.
- 14 states report “high” activity levels.
- The remaining states fall into “moderate” or “low” categories.
This is an improvement from last week when 12 states reported “very high” and 20 states reported “high” activity.
COVID-19 and RSV Trends
- COVID-19 remains elevated in several regions but shows stable emergency department visits and testing rates.
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity is also “elevated” but declining in most areas.
Vaccination Rates Remain Low
The CDC emphasizes the importance of vaccinations for Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. However, vaccine uptake remains below optimal levels:
- 45.3% of adults have received the flu vaccine.
- Only 23.1% of adults have received the updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine.
- 46.7% of adults aged 75 and older have received the RSV vaccine.
- Among children, 45.8% are vaccinated against the flu, but just 12.1% have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
Public Health Recommendations
Health officials continue to urge Americans to stay up to date on their vaccinations, especially as flu activity remains significant and other respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 and RSV persist.
“Vaccination remains the most effective tool for preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” the CDC stressed in its latest report.
As flu rates begin to decline, public health experts hope the trend continues into the coming weeks, but caution that vigilance and vaccination remain critical to limiting further spread.
