Flu Cases Start to Surge as Americans Prepare for Holiday Gatherings

MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Predictably, flu season is in full swing, with cases surging across the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed Friday in a report.

Thirteen states, including Tennessee and Louisiana, report high or very high levels of flu-like illness, double the number from the previous week, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University, told AP News.

According to the CDC, flu-related emergency room visits and lab test confirmations are rising steadily, marking the start of what could be a challenging winter for respiratory viruses.

“Flu has been increasing, but just this last week has exploded,” Dr. Schaffner added.

Meanwhile, Louisiana is experiencing a similar spike.

“Just this week is really that turning point where people are out because of the flu,” Dr. Catherine O’Neal of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, told AP News.

“You hear parents saying, ‘I can’t come to work because of the flu’ and ‘Where can I get a flu test?’”

Health experts are concerned about low flu vaccination rates this season.

CDC data shows that as of Dec. 7, only 41% of adults and children had been vaccinated, with pediatric rates dropping from 44% last year.

COVID vaccination rates are even lower, at 21% for adults and 11% for children.

Public health officials are urging people to get their flu shots, especially ahead of holiday gatherings.

“All those gatherings that are so heartwarming and fun and joyous are also an opportunity for this virus to spread person to person,” Dr. Schaffner stated. “It’s not too late to get vaccinated.”

Despite this, however, Louisiana’s health department said in a statement Friday that it was actually backing away from recommending flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, the news release stated.

An official wrote that the department’s latest position is that people should talk to their doctors about whether the shots make sense for them.

More information

The CDC has more on the flu vaccine.

SOURCE: United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), data; AP News