/ en Sat, 02 Aug 2025 00:25:16 -0500 Mon, 28 Jul 25 15:47:08 -0500 /news/headline/2025-07-28-pediatric-flu-deaths-reach-266-2024-2025-season <p>Five pediatric flu deaths were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, pushing the total to 266 for the 2024-2025 flu season, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-29.html">latest data</a>. The total is the highest reported in any non-pandemic flu season since the agency began reporting it in 2004. The CDC said 90% of reported pediatric deaths this flu season have happened to children who were not fully vaccinated against the flu.</p> Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:47:08 -0500 Flu /news/headline/2025-07-23-hhs-adopts-recommendation-remove-thimerosal-all-flu-vaccines <p>The Department of Health and Human Services July 23 <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/thimerosal-mercury-removed-from-us-flu-vaccines-acip.html" target="_blank">announced</a> it is recommending the removal of thimerosal from all U.S. flu vaccines. The announcement follows a recommendation last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.</p> Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:48:33 -0500 Flu /news/headline/2025-07-08-cdc-streamlines-bird-flu-and-influenza-reporting <p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention July 7 <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html" target="_blank">announced</a> it is streamlining H5N1 bird flu updates with its <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/index.html" target="_blank">routine influenza data</a> given the low public health risk and lack of person-to-person spread. Data on the number of people monitored and tested for bird flu will be reported monthly.</p><p>Bird flu detection data in animals will no longer be reported on the CDC website; instead, it will be publicly available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/h5n1-hpai" target="_blank">website</a>.</p> Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:25:14 -0500 Flu /news/headline/2025-05-05-pediatric-flu-deaths-hit-15-year-high <p>Though seasonal flu activity is low or minimal across the country, 216 pediatric deaths associated with seasonal influenza virus infection have been tallied so far for the 2024-2025 season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-17.html" title="Fluview">FluView</a>. The current total of pediatric deaths exceeds the previous high reported for a regular (non-pandemic) season, which was 207 deaths reported during the 2023-2024 season. The highest tally on record is 288 deaths from the 2009-2010 flu season.</p> Mon, 05 May 2025 17:30:53 -0500 Flu /news/headline/2025-02-11-nevada-confirms-its-first-human-case-bird-flu <p>The Central Nevada Health District yesterday <a href="https://www.centralnevadahd.org/press-release/" title="bird flu">announced</a> the state's first case of H5N1 bird flu, a dairy farm worker who was exposed to infected cattle. The agency said the individual had conjunctivitis and no other symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk of bird flu to the public remains low. </p> Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:13:58 -0600 Flu /news/headline/2025-02-10-cdc-estimates-least-24-million-have-had-seasonal-flu <p>At least 24 million people have had seasonal flu this season, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-05.html">estimates</a>  from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 49,000 patients were admitted to hospitals with the flu for the week ending Feb. 1. Emergency department visits due to the flu remain classified as “very high” and “increasing,” the agency <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/index.html">said</a>. ED visits for COVID-19 are “low” and “decreasing,” while visits for respiratory syncytial virus are “moderate” and “decreasing.” Overall respiratory illness activity causing people to seek health care is “very high.” </p> Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:25:35 -0600 Flu /news/headline/2025-01-21-cdc-flu-activity-remains-high-covid-19-increasing-while-rsv-peaks <p>Respiratory illness activity remains high across the country, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/index.html">latest data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal flu activity remains elevated, while cases of COVID-19 are increasing and respiratory syncytial virus activity has peaked. <br> <br>The agency said emergency department visits for the flu and RSV remain high, while COVID-19 hospitalizations are low. Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are low among adults and children, although COVID-19 vaccine coverage among older adults has increased compared to the 2023-2024 season. RSV vaccine rates remain low among adults. </p> Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:08:20 -0600 Flu /news/headline/2025-01-16-cdc-alerts-clinicians-accelerate-type-flu-subtyping-hospitalized-patients <p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released an <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/han/2025/han00520.html" title="CDC advisory">advisory</a> recommending clinicians expedite subtyping of type A influenza samples from hospitalized patients, particularly individuals in an intensive care unit. The CDC recommends that this subtyping occur as soon as possible following admission — ideally within 24 hours — to determine whether the virus is a seasonal influenza A subtype (i.e. A[H1] and A[H3]) or a novel influenza A virus, such as avian influenza A H5N1. The agency said these efforts can help prevent delays in identifying human H5N1 bird flu infections and support timely infection control and investigation.  </p><p> </p><p>The CDC still considers bird flu a low risk to the public. The agency said while seasonal flu levels are high nationally, nearly all individuals currently hospitalized with type A flu infections are likely experiencing a seasonal strain. </p> Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:34:35 -0600 Flu /news/headline/2025-01-07-louisiana-reports-first-h5n1-bird-flu-death-us <p>The Louisiana Department of Health yesterday <a href="https://ldh.la.gov/news/H5N1-death" target="_blank">announced</a> that a patient hospitalized last month for H5N1 bird flu has died, becoming the first U.S. death from the virus. The agency said the individual contracted the virus after exposure to a combination of a backyard flock and wild birds.  <br> <br>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2025/m0106-h5-birdflu-death.html" target="_blank">said</a> that no person-to-person transmission has been identified. As of Jan. 7, the CDC said, there have been 67 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. since 2022 and the risk of bird flu to the general public remains low.</p> Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:00:45 -0600 Flu /news/headline/2025-01-06-latest-united-against-flu-toolkit-urges-vaccination-during-peak-respiratory-virus-season <p>AHA’s latest social media toolkit for encouraging vaccination against the flu and COVID-19 focuses on vaccination during peak respiratory virus season. The January toolkit features messages and social media assets that hospitals and health systems can use on their channels. <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/01/2025-January-UAF-Digital-Toolkit.pdf"><strong>DOWNLOAD NOW</strong></a></p> Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:53:05 -0600 Flu