Severe Flu Season Hits U.S. Amid Low Vaccination Rates

Flu activity is very high in the United States, with 27 states showing severe amounts of the flu, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This flu season is turning out to be worse than in recent years, with more people going to the emergency room, more illnesses, and more positive flu tests.

Although this season's flu strains are not very severe, experts think that low vaccine rates are a big reason for concern. By mid-January, 146 million flu shots had been given out, a significant drop from 174 million doses at the same time in 2019-2020. The decrease in flu vaccinations is part of a larger trend of falling vaccine rates for various diseases.

Dr. Amesh Adalja from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said, "If fewer people get vaccinated, we'll see more serious cases of influenza that require hospitalization, ICU care, and can even lead to death."

This flu season isn't expected to be a record one, but experts point out that flu seasons before the pandemic were worse than many people recall. The CDC has reported tens of thousands of deaths from the flu this season.

Health experts suggest getting vaccinated, staying away from sick people, and staying home if you have flu symptoms to help stop the spread of the virus.

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