Worst flu season in 25 years hits Florida as cases surge after holidays
Worst flu season in 25 years hits Florida
Chances are, either you or someone you know has recently been sick with the flu. This year, the post-holiday flu is more concerning than in years past. The U.S. is seeing the worst Flu season in 25 years.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Chances are, either you or someone you know has recently been sick with the flu.
This year, the post-holiday flu is more concerning than in years past. The U.S. is seeing the worst Flu season in 25 years.
What they're saying:
According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, Florida is in the deep red, meaning flu activity within the state is very high.
Numbers from the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) show the 2024-25 season saw a shift to a later peak in activity compared to prior seasons. Cases in the first few weeks of the new year are trending substantially higher.
The FDOH’s data also shows an incline of flu-related ER visits.
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Dr. Tim Hendrix of AdventHealth Centra Care notes that compared to around this time last year, their hospitals are seeing twice as many patients with the flu.
"It’s ramping up to be a record-setting year in terms of the number of flu cases into our Centra Care urgent cares," Dr. Tim Hendrix said.
What’s being coined as the worst flu season in over decades is impacting children harder than in years past.
Orlando Health Pediatrician Dr. Gayathri Kapoor shared that health experts believe this is due to one of the influenza strains mutating and making the virus stronger.
"Because of that, a lot of kids are getting more ill than usual. So, unfortunately, while most people recover fine from the flu, some kids are ending up in the hospital needing help with breathing with oxygen, sometimes being on a ventilator," Dr. Kapoor explained.
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The CDC reports the 2024-2025 influenza season had the highest number of pediatric deaths since the 2009 -2010 influenza a (H1N1) pandemic. Around half of kids who died from the flu had underlying health conditions and 89% were not fully vaccinated.
Dr. Kapoor says this year's vaccine was put out prior to the strain mutating, causing it to be more ineffective at combating the virus.
"While it is protective and still decreases hospitalization rates and everything, it's not giving the best coverage," Dr. Kapoor added.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), Dr. Tim Hendrix of AdventHealth, and Orlando Health Pediatrician Dr. Gayathri Kapoor.