CDC: Global annual flu deaths greater than previously estimated

Somewhere between 291,000 and 646,000 people worldwide die from seasonal influenza every year, according to a CDC-supported study published in The Lancet.

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To generate this estimate, researchers analyzed data on influenza-related deaths recorded by 33 countries for a minimum of four years between 1999 and 2015. This analysis created a more robust dataset than used to develop prior estimates, which suggested 250,000 to 500,000 flu-related deaths occur annually

Researchers identified the greatest burden of influenza-related mortality among people aged 75 years and older and among impoverished people living in sub-Saharan African countries.  

“This work adds to a growing global understanding of the burden of influenza and populations at highest risk,” said Danielle Iuliano, PhD, a researcher in the CDC’s influenza division and the study’s lead author. “It builds the evidence base for influenza vaccination programs in other countries.”

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