Experts Predict Perhaps Severe Flu Season Amidst Vaccination Data Challenges
WASHINGTON – Health experts are warning of a potentially severe flu season, anticipating increased illness as the winter months approach and travel for the Thanksgiving holiday begins. While flu shots offer at least partial protection, the exact level of effectiveness remains under inquiry, and any mitigation of infection severity is considered valuable, experts say.
Flu seasons typically peak between December and February. “I think it’s going to start picking up here,” said Covelli, urging individuals to get vaccinated now as the “ideal time.”
However, assessing the current trajectory of respiratory infections and vaccination rates is proving arduous. A recent government shutdown temporarily halted data collection and reporting by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just as infections began to rise.
Compounding the challenge, vaccination promotion efforts have been limited following the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. Health Secretary and head of the CDC and other federal health agencies. kennedy, a known anti-vaccine activist, has previously expressed concerns about vaccine safety, including those related to the preservative thimerosal.
CDC data released Friday indicates COVID-19 vaccination rates are declining, with approximately 6% of children and 14% of adults current on their shots – a decrease of roughly 3 percentage points for both groups compared to last fall.
Flu vaccination trends are mixed. IQVIA, a health information and research company, reports over two million fewer flu shots were administered at U.S. pharmacies through the end of October compared to the same period last year. However, the latest CDC data, based on survey information, suggests childhood flu vaccination rates remain consistent with last fall at 34%, while adult rates have increased slightly to 37%. CDC officials caution it is too early to determine if this increase will continue.
As of early November, the U.S. flu hospitalization rate is comparable to the same point in 2024. Hospitalization rates for COVID-19 and RSV are currently lower this season, according to CDC data.
