Georgia flu cases spike as "super flu" wave spreads
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Georgia is one of roughly 20 states seeing a massive surge in flu cases this winter, many of them attributed to the so-called "super flu."
Why it matters: An unprecedented rise in flu cases comes as other sicknesses — such as the "winter vomiting bug," COVID and whooping cough — are slamming the U.S. this winter.
- It also arrives as chaos has enveloped the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with many questions about vaccination schedules for children.
Driving the news: Cases of the flu remain elevated in Georgia and nationwide, according to data from the state Department of Public Health and CDC.
- Georgia has seen nearly 1,600 flu hospitalizations since early October 2025, according to DPH, with 511 recorded in the final week of the year.
- Georgia recorded 29 deaths from influenza-associated illness from early October to the end of the year, according to the most recent DPH data.
Overall, new CDC data shows there's been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from the flu so far this season.
- Many of these cases have been tied to "subclade K" — a variant of the H3N2 virus, which is a subtype of influenza A.
Experts and patients say subclade K is an example of the "super flu," referring to a strain that spreads quickly and rapidly, becoming more troublesome.
- "Severity indicators remain low at this time, but influenza activity is expected to continue for several weeks," the CDC says.
The bottom line: "If you have not gotten a flu shot yet and have no medical conditions preventing you from doing so, the Department of Public Health strongly urges you to take advantage of the health benefits the flu vaccine provides as soon as possible," DPH said in a statement.
Read more about the flu vaccine's efficacy, the "super flu" term and symptoms