Flu infects thousands in Massachusetts
The worst flu season in 15 years has left hundreds of thousands of Americans hospitalized while straining physicians' offices and emergency departments.
Why it matters: The virus is causing more severe complications and hitting young children especially hard.
Driving the news: The U.S. is seeing a "high-severity" season, with estimates of at least 29 million cases, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
That's the highest number since the 2009-10 flu season.
By the numbers: Massachusetts has reported more than 48,000 flu cases since October, per state data.
At least 16,000 people nationwide have died from the flu as of Feb. 8, including 139 people from Massachusetts, per the CDC and state data.
Threat level: The two predominant strains circulating are known to be more severe, especially in high-risk patients, says Carol McLay, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
"It's really clogging up our ERs and our outpatient facilities. And for the first time, we've seen cases of influenza that have surpassed COVID-19 in hospitalizations and deaths, since the COVID pandemic began," she said.
The spread has raised concerns about the impact on children. At least 68 children have died from the flu, including six children in Massachusetts.
Pediatric flu deaths hit a record 200 last year, and this season is shaping up to be worse, said Matthew Cook, president and CEO of the Children's Hospital Association.
There have also been reports of a limited number of pediatric cases with serious neurological complications associated with the flu.
Between the lines: This flu season may be made more severe because rates of seasonal flu vaccination have been falling in recent years for some groups, including children.
Compounding the problem is the fact that this year's flu vaccine was a bit less effective (35%) than in a typical year (45%).
People have also had much less exposure to flu in recent years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We think because people were social distancing and using masks for so long during COVID that we have reduced immunity to it," McLay said.
What we're watching: Public health officials say they are increasingly flying blind since they can't interact with or get flu data from global sharing platforms FluNet and FluID after the Trump administration announced the U.S. exit from the World Health Organization.
That also has ramifications for next year's vaccine, since the global body helps determine the composition of seasonal shots.
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