Fewer kids are getting their flu shots
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Childhood flu vaccination is down so far this season in every state but Iowa, per new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Why it matters: Flu shots can help prevent kids from getting sick, but they appear to be getting swept up in a broader wave of vaccine skepticism that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The CDC reported 200 pediatric flu-related deaths in the 2023-24 season — a record high for a non-pandemic flu year.
State of play: Influenza A, the more common and severe flu strain, levels in Houston wastewaters are "high-moderate and increasing" as of Dec. 31, according to the Houston Health Department.
- Health care visits for influenza are also high and increasing, with about 2,569 related visits a week, according to the department.
Driving the news: Nationally, childhood flu vaccine coverage is down 2.7 percentage points as of the second week of December compared to the same time last year.
By the numbers: Childhood flu vaccine coverage is down 1.3 percentage points in Texas, where 43.2% of kids are vaccinated so far — above the national average.
Between the lines: These numbers are in line with a national rise in vaccine exemptions among kindergartners, suggesting increasing vaccine skepticism among parents nationwide.