Two more children have died of flu, bringing the total to eight this season, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC called flu activity “sporadic.” About 1.5% of outpatient visits to a health care provider in the week ending Feb. 26 were due to a respiratory illness, which is below baseline.
The cumulative hospitalization rate of 5.2 per 100,000 people is higher than last season but lower than the four most recent pre-pandemic seasons.
Roughly 2.5 million people have gotten sick from the flu this season, 24,000 have been hospitalized and 1,400 have died, the CDC estimates. Most of the influenza viruses detected have been influenza A(H3N2) and are genetically closely related to the vaccine virus.
The AAP and CDC recommend everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated.
Resources
- Information on flu from the CDC
- CDC FAQ about the 2021-’22 flu season
- Information for parents on flu vaccine from HealthyChildren.org
- Information on flu from the AAP Red Book
- Flu vaccine locations near you
