| Influenza (flu) |
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The 2018-2019 United States flu season was notable for being the longest flu season in a decade, lasting 21 weeks and characterized by moderate overall severity. Influenza activity began rising in November 2018, peaked in mid-February 2019, and returned to below-baseline levels by mid-April 2019. [1]
According to final estimates, the 2018-2019 season resulted in 29 million illnesses, 13 million medical visits, 380,000 hospitalizations, and 28,000 deaths. [2]
Independent reporting indicated that the 2018-2019 flu season was dominated by influenza A viruses, with A(H1N1)pdm09 serving as the primary strain circulating across most of the United States. Smaller regional outbreaks of A(H3N2) were also observed, particularly in parts of the Southeast, while influenza B activity remained unusually low throughout the season. These patterns were described as atypical compared to many prior seasons, H3N2 often played a larger role. [3]
Vaccination coverage with one dose or more of flu vaccine was 62.6% among children age six months through 17 years, an increase of 4.7% from the 2017–2018 flu season. Meanwhile, flu vaccination coverage among adults 18 years of age or older was 45.3%, an increase of 8.2% from the previous flu season. [4]