AssetID: 55380189
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: CDC Warns Flu Season Likely Not At Its Peak Amid Record-Breaking Surge
Caption: CDC Warns Flu Season Likely Not At Its Peak Amid Record-Breaking Surge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. flu season is likely not yet at its peak, despite already reaching record-breaking levels. New CDC data shows around 40,000 people were hospitalized with flu in the first week of January, up roughly ten percent from the previous week. That equals about 12 hospitalizations per 100,000 people nationwide. Older adults remain the most likely to be hospitalized, but infections among children are also high. At least 17 pediatric deaths have been reported so far this season, nearly doubling in a single week. Several of those deaths occurred in Massachusetts, including cases involving children under the age of two in Boston. Overall, the CDC estimates this flu season has already caused 15 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 7,400 deaths across the United States. Flu activity remains elevated in much of the country, with more than a dozen states at the highest alert level. While some indicators dipped recently, the CDC cautions this may reflect holiday-related reporting delays rather than a true decline. Health officials say Influenza A H3N2 is driving most cases, fueled by a new sub-variant linked to severe seasons abroad. Vaccination remains the best defense, but fewer than 40 percent of Americans are currently covered. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Health & Wellbeing,CDC,Flu,Season,Likely,Peak,Record,Breaking,Surge,Disease,Winter,US,United States,Hospitals,Hospitalizations,Vaccines,Health
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