Between Oct. 1, 2024, and May 17, an estimated 47 million to 82 million people contracted the flu, with hundreds of thousands hospitalized and 27,000 to 130,000 deaths, including 266 children — the highest number of pediatric deaths reported in any non-pandemic influenza season since the condition became reportable in 2004 — according to preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC estimates that in the 2024–2025 flu season between 610,000 and 1.3 million people were hospitalized for flu and 27,000 to 130,000 died. During the season, the CDC also estimates 370,000 to 530,000 hospitalizations and 42,000 to 61,000 deaths resulted from COVID-19 and 190,000 to 350,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 to 23,000 deaths resulted from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Mid-September to late October is the optimal window for people to receive the updated vaccinations to protect against severe illness this fall and winter, said David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. To read the full story.