The flu is soaring in seven US states and rising in others, health officials say
U.S. health officials say at least seven states are seeing high levels of the flu and that cases are rising in other parts of the country
ByMIKE STOBBE AP medical writer
November 17, 2023, 12:24 PM
FILE – A flu vaccine is readied at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans’ Community Resource Center in Lynwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. On Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina. It was also high in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory where health officials declared an influenza epidemic earlier this month.
“We’re off to the races,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert
Traditionally, the winter flu season ramps up in December or January. But it took off in October last year, and is making a November entrance this year.
Flu activity was moderate but rising in New York City, Arkansas, California, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. And while flu activity has been high in Alaska for weeks, the state did not report data last week, so it wasn't part of the latest count.
Tracking during flu season relies in part on reports of people with flu-like symptoms who go to doctor's offices or hospitals; many people with the flu are not tested, so their infections aren’t lab-confirmed. COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses can sometimes muddy the picture.
Alicia Budd, who leads the CDC’s flu surveillance team, said several indicators are showing “continued increases” in flu.
There are different kinds of flu viruses, and the version that's been spreading the most so far this year usually leads to a lesser amount of hospitalizations and deaths in the elderly — the group on whom flu tends to take the largest toll.
So far this fall, the CDC estimates at least 780,000 flu illnesses, at least 8,000 hospitalizations and at least 490 flu-related deaths — including at least one child.
Budd said that it’s not yet clear exactly how effective the current flu vaccines are, but the shots are well-matched to the flu strains that are showing up. In the U.S., about 35% of U.S. adults and 33% of children have been vaccinated against flu, current CDC data indicates. That's down compared to last year in both categories.
Flu vaccination rates are better than rates for the other two main respiratory viruses — COVID-19 and RSV. About 14% of adults and 5% of children have gotten the currently recommended COVID-19 shot, and about 13.5% of adults 60 and older have gotten one of the RSV shots that became available earlier this year.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
News Related
-
The new study analysed NHS data on 224,000 cases of sepsis and compared the cases to over 1.3 million people who did not have sepsis (Jeff Moore/PA Wire) New research has found people from deprived socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to develop and die from sepsis. The new study analysed ...
See Details:
Study reveals the people most likely to die from sepsis
-
Researchers studied people using professional social networking sites (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Archive) Using professional social networking sites such as LinkedIn can trigger feelings of imposter syndrome, research suggests. A survey of LinkedIn users found interacting with the site is linked with experiences of the syndrome – a feeling of inadequacy ...
See Details:
Using sites like LinkedIn can trigger imposter syndrome, study suggests
-
-
West Africa responds to huge diphtheria outbreaks Authorities in several West African countries are trying to manage their huge diphtheria outbreaks ByCHINEDU ASADU Associated Press November 23, 2023, 2:14 PM In this handout photo released by MSF, a health worker educating a group of male patients and care givers on ...
See Details:
West Africa responds to huge diphtheria outbreaks
-
Scientists have found that some people are more likely to be diagnosed with sepsis than others (PA) (PA Wire) Researchers have found which groups of people are more likely to die from sepsis. Analysis of NHS data shows that people with certain medical conditions and deprived people have a higher ...
See Details:
Study reveals which people are most likely to die from sepsis
-
-
Several more children sickened by fruit pouches tainted with lead, FDA says U.S. health officials are reporting more cases of children sickened by fruit puree pouches that were recalled due to lead contamination ByMATTHEW PERRONE AP health writer November 22, 2023, 4:11 PM WASHINGTON — More children were apparently sickened ...
See Details:
Several more children sickened by fruit pouches tainted with lead, FDA says
-
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot A judge has struck down an effort to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, in Nevada’s constitution ByGABE STERN /REPORT FOR AMERICA Associated Press November 22, 2023, 8:06 PM RENO, Nev. — A judge has struck down an effort to ...
See Details:
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot
-
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot A judge has struck down an effort to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, in Nevada’s constitution ByGABE STERN /REPORT FOR AMERICA Associated Press November 22, 2023, 8:06 PM RENO, Nev. — A judge has struck down an effort to ...
See Details:
What causes skin to itch? New research pinpoints a previously unknown factor
-
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot A judge has struck down an effort to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, in Nevada’s constitution ByGABE STERN /REPORT FOR AMERICA Associated Press November 22, 2023, 8:06 PM RENO, Nev. — A judge has struck down an effort to ...
See Details:
Traditional media more trustworthy for science news, poll suggests
-
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot A judge has struck down an effort to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, in Nevada’s constitution ByGABE STERN /REPORT FOR AMERICA Associated Press November 22, 2023, 8:06 PM RENO, Nev. — A judge has struck down an effort to ...
See Details:
Long-term use of ADHD drugs could bring higher risk of heart diseases – study
-
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot A judge has struck down an effort to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, in Nevada’s constitution ByGABE STERN /REPORT FOR AMERICA Associated Press November 22, 2023, 8:06 PM RENO, Nev. — A judge has struck down an effort to ...
See Details:
Nutrient found in beef and dairy products found to help fight cancer
-
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot A judge has struck down an effort to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, in Nevada’s constitution ByGABE STERN /REPORT FOR AMERICA Associated Press November 22, 2023, 8:06 PM RENO, Nev. — A judge has struck down an effort to ...
See Details:
Horror as fly found inside Missouri man’s intestines
-
OTHER NEWS
Abortion rates in US increased by 5% in 2021, the final year it remained a constitutional right under Roe: CDC Adolescents under age 15 made up the lowest percentage of ...
Read more »
Masking on planes isn’t as common as it was in this May 2020 photo, but it is still a good idea, especially if you are on your way to Thanksgiving ...
Read more »
In 2017, Colby, then aged 18, was diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), an infection that attacks the body’s immune system. “I was feeling nauseous, had a fever and was ...
Read more »
More free COVID-19 tests from the government are available for home delivery through the mail Americans can order four free COVID-19 tests again online ByAMANDA SEITZ Associated Press November 20, ...
Read more »
Physicians, clinic ask judge to block enforcement of part of a North Dakota abortion law Physicians and the former, sole abortion provider in North Dakota are asking a state district ...
Read more »
Police: Kentucky bank shooter wrote in journal about ease of buying assault weapon before killings The man who fatally shot five coworkers in April at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, ...
Read more »
Google is celebrating Chinese-Australian surgeon Victor Chang on his birth anniversary for his revolutionary work pioneering modern heart transplants. On Tuesday, Google commemorated Chang with a Doodle that featured a sketch ...
Read more »