The 2024-to-2025 flu season hit a 15-year record of 216 pediatric deaths as of late April, according to CDC data published May 2.
Last season saw 207 pediatric flu deaths, while the most fatal flu season for children in the last two decades was the 2009-to-2010 season, which recorded 288 deaths. Additionally, the cumulative hospitalization rate for adult and pediatric patients is the highest it has been since the 2010-to-2011 season.
The CDC estimates this season has led to 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths.
At the same time of this flu season’s high severity, the U.S. is experiencing a decadeslong high of measles cases, with 935 confirmed infections so far in 2025.