Flu activity remains low but is increasing nationwide, particularly among children and young adults, new CDC data shows.
Outpatient visits and hospitalizations for flu have risen in recent weeks, according to the CDC’s latest FluView update published Dec. 1. In the week ending Nov. 22, the U.S. reported 3,264 flu-related hospitalizations, marking a 39% increase from the week prior.
About 2.5% of outpatient visits involved flu-like illness during the week ending Nov. 22, a slight increase from the week prior but still below the national baseline of 3.1%. Children ages 4 and younger reported the highest rate of flu-related outpatient visits among all age groups at 7.7%.
The CDC estimates at least 1.1 million flu cases, 11,000 hospitalizations and 450 deaths have occurred so far this season.
Four more virus updates:
1. The U.S. has recorded more than 25,000 whooping cough cases this year — the second consecutive year with elevated cases compared to historical trends, ABC News reported Nov. 25. At this time last year, the U.S. had reported 33,000 cases. The last time case totals were this high was in 2014, when 32,900 cases were confirmed, according to the report. The increase comes amid declining vaccinations rates, CDC data shows.
2. As of Nov. 25, the CDC had confirmed 1,798 measles cases in 42 states, 12% of which required hospitalization. The U.S. has seen 46 outbreaks this year, up from 16 in 2024. Most cases — 92% — involved individuals who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
3. Global measles deaths declined 88% between 2000 and 2024, according to a Nov. 28 report from the World Health Organization. Health officials credited global vaccination campaigns for this reduction but noted 59 countries reported large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2024 — nearly triple the number in 2021.
4. The FDA is proposing sweeping changes to its vaccine approval process, according to an internal memo obtained by The New York Times. Vinay Prasad, MD, the agency’s chief medical and scientific officer, authored the memo, which references an internal review linking COVID-19 vaccines to the deaths of 10 children. The analysis has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and public health experts have raised concerns about its findings. The memo surfaced ahead of a scheduled Dec. 4-5 meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is set to review the childhood immunization schedule and timing of the hepatitis B vaccine.
