(Image source from: Nbcnews.com)

A flu outbreak overwhelmed the United States as the year wrapped up, hitting the highest numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic began and affecting kids and teens particularly hard. So far this season, over 11 million individuals have gotten the flu, and 5,000 people have lost their lives, based on information shared on Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visits to doctors and emergency departments for flu-like symptoms are at their highest since before the pandemic started in 2020, and for the first time in the last week of 2025, the agency categorized the current outbreak as "moderately severe. " There are signs that the situation could worsen. Less than 43% of adults received the flu vaccine by the end of last year, according to the CDC. The growing flu activity across the nation is mainly driven by a new variant known as the super flu. It is a change in the usual H3N2 flu strain, and the vaccines currently available seem to not work well against it.

"We are not at the peak in the US yet," said virologist Andy Pekosz from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "We are unsure about how strong this virus is or how long it will last in the population. " The variant can escape the protection offered by the vaccine or past infections, Pekosz, a microbiology professor, mentioned. This increases the number of Americans at risk of getting infected, allowing the virus to spread rapidly, he explained. This has become a significant issue for kids and teenagers. According to the CDC, over 8% of emergency department visits during the last week of the year were related to the flu. This figure climbed to over 20% for kids aged 5 to 17 years, and 18% for children under 4 years old, based on data from the public health agency.

So far this season, nine children have died from the flu. However, deaths are usually reported later, and the numbers rise as the season goes on. Last year, the US reported over 280 deaths in children due to the flu, marking it as the deadliest flu season without a pandemic. The flu usually begins in the Southeast of the US before gradually moving north and west. The highest levels of outpatient activity are still focused in the eastern part of the country, and they are starting to increase in states like California, Oregon, and Washington. It is still early in the flu season, which usually slows down by May. Despite the mismatch between the vaccine and the virus this year, getting vaccinated remains the best way to guard against serious illness, hospital stays, or death. Flu is an ever-changing virus, and the available vaccine is well suited for other strains, Pekosz remarked.

"Although it may not work as effectively against infection, it provides enough immune support to shield you from severe illness," he stated.