Flu season has arrived in parts of the United States with a notable increase in confirmed cases and hospital visits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that several states are experiencing "high or very high" levels of flu-like illness, reflecting a significant rise from previous weeks. NBC New York notes that infectious disease experts are monitoring the surge, particularly in areas like Nashville, where one clinic observed flu symptoms in a quarter of their patients.
In the New York City area, flu cases increased by 90% last week, according to local health departments, with officials anticipating the trend may continue. Despite this rise, flu vaccination rates remain low, with only about 41% of adults and children in the city having received the vaccine this season, according to PIX11. The CDC has not yet confirmed whether this year's vaccine is a good match for the currently circulating strains.
Health officials are also monitoring other respiratory illnesses, including RSV, which is showing an increase among the elderly and infants. According to NBC New York, while CDC data shows a decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations since the summer, some regions are still reporting elevated levels based on wastewater data.
In light of the approaching holiday season and potential virus transmission at family gatherings, experts are urging the public to get vaccinated. "All those gatherings that are so heartwarming and fun and joyous are also an opportunity for this virus to spread person to person," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University, told NBC New York. Despite this advice, vaccination hesitancy persists, further complicated by Louisiana’s health department's recent step back from unequivocally recommending flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
While the health department suggests consultations with doctors, critics have expressed concern over the possible adverse outcomes of such policies. "People are going to die because of this policy," Jennifer Herricks, the founder of Louisiana Families for Vaccines, said in the NBC New York piece.
