AS Alami Hospitalization Rate Due To Highest Flu In One Decade, Health Authority Appealed To The People To Be Vaccinated

Illustration of flu vaccination centers in the United States, (Wikimedia Commons/Douglas Stutz)

JAKARTA - The United States is experiencing the highest hospitalization rate due to influenza which has been seen in a decade so far, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday, with 14 children so far having died.

CDC director Rochelle Walensky said the US hospital system also continues to be suppressed by the high number of patients with other respiratory illnesses such as the respiratory syncy virus (RSV) and COVID-19.

There have been at least 8.7 million cases, 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from the flu so far this season, according to CDC estimates. He appealed to the public to vaccinate.

"Especially for RSVs and flu, this rate is higher than what we usually see this year," Walensky told reporters at a news conference.

He said the flu season started early and "carryed for inpatients as the flu continues to be the highest we've seen in a decade."

The respiratory virus spreads as people gather indoors due to colder weather. People are also most likely to have weakened defenses after not being exposed to the flu and RSV, while working or attending school from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Vaccination rates for people at higher risk of flu - those aged 65 years and over, children and women pregnant - are also lower than last year," Walensky added.

About 12 percent fewer pregnant women have been vaccinated so far this season than last season, and about 5 percent fewer children, Walensky said.

It is known, between October 1 and November 26, the hospitalization rate due to flu in the United States is 16.6 per 100,000 people. In the last 10 years, the cumulative rate during the same week in a year has usually ranged from 0.1 to 2 per 100,000 people.

COVID-19 cases have increased after the Thanksgiving holiday and COVID-related hospitalizations have also increased by about 15 percent to 20 percent over the past week, Walensky said.

Walensky, along with Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, an internic chairing the American Medical Association board, urged people to get the flu vaccine now, although they may be alert or tired of vaccinations, said it was not too late.

"This year's flu season started badly. It started early and with COVID and RSV, it was the perfect storm for a terrible holiday season," Fryhofer said.