Flu hospitalizations are at the third-highest level seen at this point in the season in 15 years, according to the CDC’s latest FluView report.
The cumulative flu hospitalization rate for the week ending Dec. 6 reached 6.9 per 100,000, ranking third highest for week 49 since the 2010–11 flu season. Only the 2022–23 season (36.1) and 2023–24 season (9.5) reported higher rates at this point. Meanwhile, the weekly flu hospitalization rate increased to 2.2 per 100,000, up from 1.7 the week prior.
Four more virus updates:
1. Nationally, ED visits for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus are low, but increasing, CDC data shows. The national percentage of flu-related ED visits was 1.6% in the week ending Dec. 6, up from 1.4% the week prior.
2. The nation’s first pediatric flu death of the 2025-26 season was reported this week. Flu accounted for 0.2% of deaths reported in the week ending Dec. 6, marking a slight week-over-week increase.
3. Three states — Colorado, New York and Louisiana — reported high influenza-like activity based on outpatient visit trends. About 3.2% of outpatient visits were due to respiratory illness, up from 2.9% a week earlier and above the national baseline of 3.1%.
4. So far this season, the CDC estimates there have been at least 2.9 million flu cases, 30,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths nationwide.
