Article
How bad the season has been
By Jan. 22, CDC estimates put this season at about 230,000 flu hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths, including 32 pediatric deaths. Early in January, the share of health care visits for flu-like illness reached about 8%, the highest level in CDC records going back to 1997. Nearly all cases tested have been influenza A, and most of those H3N2, led by a variant known as subclade K whose mutations moved it further from the strain the vaccine was designed around.
Vaccination has offered a thinner buffer than usual. As of mid-December, only about 42% of adults and 42% of children had received a flu shot, and clinicians report that most patients sick enough to need oxygen or intensive care are unvaccinated.
Where hospitals felt it
Some regions have passed their peak while others are still climbing. Pennsylvania hospitals reported full emergency departments, use of alternate care sites and delayed elective procedures, even as weekly cases there fell by nearly half. New York recorded its highest weekly case count in more than two decades. Pediatric units have carried an unusual share of the load, with most child cases among infants and preschoolers.
A less visible pressure point is blood. The American Red Cross reported that the national supply fell 35% in a month, and some hospitals have been triaging critical blood products.
What to review before the next surge
- Elective scheduling triggers. Define in advance the census, boarding and staffing thresholds that pause electives, and how quickly cases are restored, so surgical margin is not lost longer than necessary.
- Pediatric capacity. Many adult hospitals rely on transfers to children’s hospitals that are themselves full. Confirm regional transfer agreements and what pediatric care can be safely held locally.
- Staff illness and vaccination. Track employee absence by unit daily during peaks, and review workforce vaccination rates now rather than next fall.
- Blood management. Revisit patient blood management protocols and coordinate with suppliers on allocation rules before shortages hit.
- Community messaging. With national guidance on childhood flu vaccination changing this month, local clinicians are an important voice for families weighing whether to vaccinate.
Respiratory seasons have become less predictable in timing and severity. Systems that treat each one as a stress test, and record what broke, will be better placed next winter.
Archive entry for Jan 26, 2026, added Nov. 11, 2026.