Data: CDC; Note: Includes patient visits for respiratory illness that includes fever plus a cough or sore throat; Map: Axios Visuals
This flu season is shaping up as one of the most severe in recent memory — and it could get even worse.
At least 11 million people have gotten sick, 120,000 have been hospitalized and 5,000 have died from the flu so far this season, per the latest CDC estimates.
Louisiana has had five flu-related deaths so far, including a child, officials said this week.
This season's outbreak is largely fueled by a so-called "super flu" — the "subclade K" variant of the H3N2 virus, which itself is a subtype of influenza A.
That variant differs from what's in the latest flu shots, raising concerns that the vaccine may offer less protection.
Still, expertsrecommend getting vaccinated anyway. Dr. Nehal Galal, a primary care physician at New York-Presbyterian and Columbia: "While it may not prevent illness entirely, it can still help reduce your risk of serious complications."
Nearly 44% of U.S. adults reported getting a flu shot as of Dec. 27, 2025, the CDC says, up from 41.6% at the same time the previous year.