Flu Spike in the US, 11 Million Cases and Tens of Thousands of Hospitalized

Illustration of a woman with flu (Photo: Freepik/Freepik)

JAKARTA - The United States is facing a significant spike in flu cases in the 2025-2026 season. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated this year's flu season as 'quite severe', after the number of cases jumped to more than 11 million people infected.

CDC data shows flu activity is still at high levels and continues to increase until the end of December. The impact is felt directly on the health system with 120 thousand patients having to be hospitalized and about 5,000 deaths recorded so far.

"The number of flu cases is actually likely to be greater than official data, because not everyone gets a flu test," said Eric Ascher, a family doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, quoted from the Reuters website.

He added that the peak of the case was likely not yet.

"We expect the highest spike to be seen in the next one or two weeks," he said.

This flu case surge is much higher than the previous season. In the same period in the 2024-2025 season, the number of flu cases was recorded at around 5.3 million with 63 thousand hospitalizations and 2,700 deaths. This sharp increase makes US health authorities more vigilant.

Experts assess that several factors are the main triggers for the increased spread of flu, ranging from high travel activity during the holiday season, low vaccination coverage, to the prevalence of misleading information about vaccines.

"Fewer people vaccinated, coupled with a vaccine match that is not completely optimal, are the main reasons for this year's flu spike," Ascher said.

However, not all experts agree to immediately conclude the effectiveness of the vaccine. Professor Aaron Milstone from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reminded the public not to rush to draw conclusions.

"It's too early to make a definitive assessment regarding that," he said.

The CDC also reported one child death from the flu in the past week, bringing the total number of child deaths during the 2025-2026 flu season to nine cases. The agency expects flu activity to continue in the coming weeks.

Currently, the Influenza A (H3N2) virus is the most dominant type, covering more than 90 percent of identified A flu cases. Hospitals are overwhelmed, with more than 33 thousand flu patients treated in one week to the end of December.

"We are seeing real pressure on health services, especially in the inpatient and emergency departments," a health official quoted by the CDC said.

The government and health authorities are again urging the public to maintain cleanliness, recognize flu symptoms early, and consider vaccination, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases.