Washington: Flu infections have continued to climb across the US, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating at least 15 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 7,400 deaths so far this season. According to Philippines News Agency, CDC data released Friday shows a 10-year high in the rate of young children visiting doctors for flu-related symptoms. More than 18 percent of doctor visits for children under age 4 are now flu-related, the highest rate since at least 2016. Anne Zink, an emergency medicine physician working with Yale's PopHIVE tracking platform, noted the increase in sick children, describing crowded emergency rooms with insufficient seating in lobbies. About 7.2 percent of all health care visits are now for flu-like illness, defined as a fever with cough or sore throat, marking a record for this time of year, according to the CDC. Eight more pediatric flu deaths were reported this week, bringing the total to 17 this season. Last year, 289 children died from flu , with about 90 percent of them unvaccinated, CDC data shows. CDC epidemiologist Carrie Reed mentioned that influenza activity remains high and is expected to continue for some time. A new H3N2 subvariant, subclade K, which has been circulating globally since summer, is linked to the majority of infections and has contributed to earlier spikes in countries like Canada and Japan. As of December 27, only 43.5 percent of U.S. adults and 42.5 percent of children had received a flu vaccine, despite ongoing public health recommendations. Doctors continue to urge vaccinations, emphasizing that the current vaccine offers protection against severe illness, even if it is not fully matched to the dominant strain. Dr. Michelle Morse, acting health commissioner for New York City, warned that the situation is still concerning, though there have been some early signs of flu stabilization in the city. The rising number of cases comes amid controversial Trump administration recommendations downplaying the need for many vac cinations. Public health advocates criticize these recommendations as being out of line with scientific consensus. In a recent interview, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, suggested that it might be beneficial if fewer children receive the flu vaccine, a statement that has sparked further debate among health professionals.
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