Pediatric flu deaths crept closer to an all-time high in a non-pandemic season even as flu-related hospital admissions decreased across all U.S. regions for the week ending April 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC’s weekly influenza surveillance report released Friday contained six new pediatric flu deaths that occurred in February and April. That brings the 2024-’25 flu season total of pediatric deaths to 204; last season set a record for a non-pandemic season with 207.
Hospital admissions, outpatient visits and positive tests for the flu continue to decline nationwide, though the CDC expects the disease to circulate for several more weeks.
The hospital admission rate for flu reported Friday was 1.1 per 100,000, a more than 5% decrease from the previous week. The admission rate decreased across all 10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regions and reached as low as 0.7 per 100,000 in Region 10, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Vaccines for the current flu season are still available. The CDC reported Friday that 49% of U.S. children have been vaccinated against the flu this season, up from 48.7% last week.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot. Protection against the illness typically begins two weeks after administration.
There have been at least 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths from the flu in the 2024-’25 season.
No new human cases of avian influenza were reported Friday; there have been 70 cases and one death associated with bird flu reported this year.
Respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 activity continue to decline from already low levels. The CDC reports COVID hospitalization rates are at a “very low” level.
More than 400 additional pertussis cases
According to provisional CDC data for the week ending April 19, more than 400 additional cases of pertussis (whooping cough) have been reported in the U.S., bringing the 2025 total to 8,472.
Chad Neilsen, head of infection control and prevention for Nemours Children’s Health in Florida, told ABC News on Thursday that the U.S. is on pace for 70,000 cases of whooping cough this year, doubling last year’s total.
No new pediatric pertussis deaths have been reported in the last week. The Louisiana Office of the Surgeon General confirmed on March 27 that two infants died of whooping cough within the previous six months, and the Spokane Regional Health District in Washington state reported on Feb. 5 that a child under age 5 died in November 2024.
Vaccination is the best prevention against whooping cough. The immunization schedule calls for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine to be given at 2 months of age. Subsequent doses are given at 4 months and 6 months, with boosters at 15-18 months and 4-6 years. A tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) booster is recommended at 11-12 years old.
To prevent adult transmission to babies, people in close contact with infants younger than 1 year should get a booster, and pregnant people should get the vaccine during the third trimester.
