Flu Cases Surge in December
The United States has experienced a notable rise in influenza cases this December, following the most severe flu season since 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It’s still uncertain if the overall flu case count will continue to rise this season or if a significant number of people just happened to get ill all at once in December. Reports indicate that over 3,100 individuals succumbed to the virus in the US during the year ending in August 2025, based on the latest CDC data.
Given this situation, health experts recommend that those who haven’t yet received a flu vaccine should consider doing so. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist from Brown University, emphasizes, “If they haven’t gotten vaccinated against the flu, they should get vaccinated, particularly young kids and older adults.”
The current spike comes on the heels of a 2024-2025 flu season that was notably harsh, including 279 pediatric deaths, the highest reported to the agency during a flu season.
This year, a new variant known as subclade K has emerged, and flu activity began earlier than typical in Europe. Reports of “high or very high influenza activity” surfaced in December across that region.
By December 20, the US saw an estimated 7.5 million flu cases, with 81,000 hospitalizations, marking a significant 25% increase from the week prior, the CDC indicated.
Thirty-two states have reported a “high or very high” number of flu cases. Nuzzo commented on the situation, saying, “A lot of people are getting the flu at the same time, which is always tough. That is actually tougher than a situation in which people get it and it’s spread out over a longer period. It could be a worse season, in part because more people are going to need more care than hospitals can easily deliver.”
There’s also concern among epidemiologists that fewer individuals may choose to get the flu vaccine this year, especially since the CDC, under health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., canceled its campaign promoting vaccination. At the beginning of December, about 130 million flu vaccines had been distributed in the US, which is 13 million less than last year at the same time, according to CDC data.
Nuzzo expressed her incredulity, stating, “It’s completely incredulous to me that after experiencing the worst flu season for kids on record that we could head into this flu season – with signs that it could be bad, based on the viruses circulating out there – with anything but a robust plan to encourage people to get vaccinated.”
Some residents might also be wary about the effectiveness of the new vaccine against the latest variant. Nuzzo pointed out, “We have some reason to think that the protection may be lower, but I want to be careful by saying it may protect you less, but it’s likely still going to give you some important protection.”
Furthermore, people may not realize they can pick up at-home tests from pharmacies. “There are some people who might benefit from medication if they tested positive, but that medication needs to be given very soon after symptoms start,” Nuzzo added.
