The burden of influenza in the United States can vary from year to year depending on which viruses are circulating, how many people receive an influenza vaccination, and how effective the vaccination is in that particular year. During the 2023-2024 flu season, around 28,000 people lost their lives to the disease. Although most people recover from influenza without needing medical care, the disease can be deadly among young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Deaths due to influenza Even though most people recover from influenza without medical care, influenza and pneumonia can be deadly, especially for older people and those with certain preexisting conditions. Influenza is a common cause of pneumonia and although most cases of influenza do not develop into pneumonia, those that do are often more severe and more deadly. Deaths due to influenza are most common among the elderly, with a mortality rate of around 32 per 100,000 population during the 2023-2024 flu season. In comparison, the mortality rate for those aged 50 to 64 years was 9.1 per 100,000 population. Flu vaccinations The most effective way to prevent influenza is to receive an annual influenza vaccination. These vaccines have proven to be safe and are usually cheap and easily accessible. Nevertheless, every year a large share of the population in the United States still fails to get vaccinated against influenza. For example, in the 2022-2023 flu season, only 35 percent of those aged 18 to 49 years received a flu vaccination. Unsurprisingly, children and the elderly are the most likely to get vaccinated. It is estimated that during the 2022-2023 flu season, vaccinations prevented over 929 thousand influenza cases among children aged 6 months to 4 years.

The graph illustrates the number of flu-related deaths in the United States for each flu season from 2010-2011 to 2023-2024*. The x-axis represents the flu seasons, labeled from '10-11 to '23*-24*, while the y-axis shows the annual number of flu deaths. Throughout this period, flu deaths vary significantly, ranging from a low of 4,900 in the 2021-2022* season to a high of 51,000 in both the 2014-2015 and 2017-2018 seasons. Other notable figures include 36,000 deaths in 2010-2011, 42,000 in 2012-2013, and a recent increase to 28,000 in the 2023*-2024* season. The data exhibits considerable fluctuations with no consistent upward or downward trend, highlighting the variability in flu mortality rates over the years. This information is presented in a line graph format, effectively showcasing the yearly changes and peaks in flu-related deaths across the United States.

*Data for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons are estimated.

During the 2023-2024 flu season in the United States, an estimated 27,965 people died from influenza. The vast majority of deaths due to influenza occur among the elderly, with those aged 65 years and older accounting for 19,038 deaths during the 2023-2024 flu season. During this time, the mortality rate from influenza among those aged 65 years and older was around 32 per 100,000 population, compared to a mortality rate of two per 100,000 population among those aged 18 to 49 years. Influenza deaths Although most people recover from influenza without the need of medical care, influenza and pneumonia are still major causes of death in the United States. Influenza is a common cause of pneumonia and cases in which influenza develops into pneumonia tend to be more severe and more deadly. However, the impact of influenza varies from year to year depending on which viruses are circulating. For example, during the 2017-2018 flu season around 52,000 people died due to influenza, whereas in 2023-2024 total deaths amounted to 28,000. Preventing death The most effective way to prevent influenza is to receive an annual influenza vaccination. These vaccines have proven to be safe and are usually cheap and easily accessible. Each year, flu vaccinations prevent thousands of influenza cases, hospitalizations and deaths. It was estimated that during the 2022-2023 flu season, vaccinations prevented the deaths of around 2,479 people aged 65 years and older.

Influenza and pneumonia caused around 10.9 deaths in the U.S. per 100,000 population in 2023. Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection that is highly contagious and especially common in the winter season. Influenza is a common cause of pneumonia, although most cases of the flu do not develop into pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection or inflammation of the lungs and is particularly deadly among young children and the elderly. Influenza cases Influenza is very common in the United States, with an estimated 40 million cases reported in 2023-2024. Common symptoms of the flu include cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat and headache. Symptoms can be mild but can also be severe enough to require medical attention. In 2023-2024, there were around 18 million influenza-related medical visits in the United States. Prevention To prevent contracting the flu, people can take everyday precautions such as regularly washing their hands and avoiding those who are sick, but the best way to prevent the flu is by receiving the flu vaccination every year. Receiving a flu vaccination is especially important for young children and the elderly, as they are most susceptible to flu complications and associated death. In 2024, around 70 percent of those aged 65 years and older received a flu vaccine, while only 33 percent of those aged 18 to 49 years had done so.

Influenza, also called the flu, is one of the most infectious diseases worldwide. Its symptoms range from mild to severe, and include sore throat, cough, runny nose, fever, headache, and muscle pain, but can also cause severe illness and death among high-risk populations such as the elderly and children. During the 2023-2024 flu season, there were 40 million cases of influenza in the United States. Influenza deaths Although influenza does not require medical attention for most people, it can be deadly, and causes thousands of deaths every year. The impact of influenza varies from year to year. The number of influenza deaths during the 2023-2024 flu season was 27,965. The vast majority of deaths attributed to influenza during the 2023-2024 flu season occurred among those aged 65 years and older. Vaccination An annual influenza vaccination remains the most effective way of preventing influenza. During the 2022-2023 flu season, influenza vaccinations prevented an estimated 2,479 deaths among U.S. adults aged 65 years and older. Although, flu vaccinations are accessible and cheap, a large share of the United States population still fails to get vaccinated every year. In 2022-2023, only 35 percent of those aged 18 to 49 years received a flu vaccination, much lower compared to children and the elderly.

Deaths counts for influenza, pneumonia, and COVID-19 reported to NCHS by week ending date, by state and HHS region, and age group.

Over 12 million people in the United States died from all causes between the beginning of January 2020 and August 21, 2023. Over 1.1 million of those deaths were with confirmed or presumed COVID-19.

Vaccine rollout in the United States Finding a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine was an urgent health priority since the very start of the pandemic. In the United States, the first two vaccines were authorized and recommended for use in December 2020. One has been developed by Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna, and the number of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines administered in the U.S. was over 250 million. Moderna has also said that its vaccine is effective against the coronavirus variants first identified in the UK and South Africa.

Seasonal influenza epidemics have a substantial public health and economic burden in the United States (US). On average, over 200,000 people are hospitalized and an estimated 23,000 people die from respiratory and circulatory complications associated with seasonal influenza virus infections each year. Annual direct medical costs and indirect productivity costs across the US have been found to average respectively at $10.4 billion and $16.3 billion. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic impact of severe influenza-induced illness on the US Veterans Affairs population. The five-year study period included 2010 through 2014. Influenza-attributed outcomes were estimated with a statistical regression model using observed emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths from the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic medical records and respiratory viral surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data from VA’s Managerial Cost Accounting system were used to estimate the costs of the emergency department and hospital visits. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics were used to estimate the costs of lost productivity; data on age at death, life expectancy and economic valuations for a statistical life year were used to estimate the costs of a premature death. An estimated 10,674 (95% CI 8,661–12,687) VA ED visits, 2,538 (95% CI 2,112–2,964) VA hospitalizations, 5,522 (95% CI 4,834–6,210) all-cause deaths, and 3,793 (95% CI 3,375–4,211) underlying respiratory or circulatory deaths (inside and outside VA) among adult Veterans were attributable to influenza each year from 2010 through 2014. The annual value of lost productivity amounted to $27 (95% CI $24–31) million and the annual costs for ED visits were $6.2 (95% CI $5.1–7.4) million. Ninety-six percent of VA hospitalizations resulted in either death or a discharge to home, with annual costs totaling $36 (95% CI $30–43) million. The remaining 4% of hospitalizations were followed by extended care at rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities with annual costs totaling $5.5 (95% CI $4.4–6.8) million. The annual monetary value of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost amounted to $1.1 (95% CI $1.0–1.2) billion. In total, the estimated annual economic burden was $1.2 (95% CI $1.0–1.3) billion, indicating the substantial burden of seasonal influenza epidemics on the US Veterans Affairs population. Premature death was found to be the largest driver of these costs, followed by hospitalization.

Provisional counts of the number of death occurrences in England and Wales due to coronavirus (COVID-19) and influenza and pneumonia, by age, sex and place of death.

Effective September 27, 2023, this dataset will be updated weekly on Thursdays.

Deaths involving COVID-19, pneumonia, and influenza reported to NCHS by week ending date and by state

This dataset contains the following files for California influenza surveillance data: 1) Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Data by Region and Influenza Season from volunteer sentinel providers; 2) Clinical Sentinel Laboratory Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Surveillance Data by Region and Influenza Season from volunteer sentinel laboratories; and 3) Public Health Laboratory Influenza Respiratory Virus Surveillance Data by Region and Influenza Season from California public health laboratories. The Immunization Branch at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) collects, compiles and analyzes information on influenza activity year-round in California and produces a weekly influenza surveillance report during October through May. The California influenza surveillance system is a collaborative effort between CDPH and its many partners at local health departments, public health and clinical laboratories, vital statistics offices, healthcare providers, clinics, emergency departments, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). California data are also included in the CDC weekly influenza surveillance report, FluView, and help contribute to the national picture of Influenza activity in the United States. The information collected allows CDPH and CDC to: 1) find out when and where influenza activity is occurring; 2) track influenza-related illness; 3) determine what influenza viruses are circulating; 4) detect changes in influenza viruses; and 5) measure the impact influenza is having on hospitalizations and deaths.

Following the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 1918, which came to be known as the Spanish Flu, the number of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia soared. Pneumonia was caused either by the influenza or by a bacterial superinfection that took hold due to the patient's weakened state as a result of the influenza, for this reason, influenza deaths and pneumonia deaths were recorded together as one. Pennsylvania had the highest mortality rate due to the pandemic, where there were over 880 fatalities per 100,000 people; meaning that approximately 0.9 percent of the state's population died from the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918.

When compared with the 1915 mortality rates, many states, such as California and Pennsylvania, saw their mortality rate due to influenza and pneumonia increase five-fold by 1818, which was the worst year of the pandemic. While the mortality rate decreased significantly in the year 1919, there was no US state where it fell to it's pre-pandemic level, and the 1919 mortality rate was still double the pre-pandemic rate in some states such as California, South Carolina and Washington.

BackgroundThe historical Japanese influenza vaccination program targeted at schoolchildren provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the indirect benefits of vaccinating high-transmitter groups to mitigate disease burden among seniors. Here we characterize the indirect mortality benefits of vaccinating schoolchildren based on data from Japan and the US. MethodsWe compared age-specific influenza-related excess mortality rates in Japanese seniors aged ≥65 years during the schoolchildren vaccination program (1978–1994) and after the program was discontinued (1995–2006). Indirect vaccine benefits were adjusted for demographic changes, socioeconomics and dominant influenza subtype; US mortality data were used as a control. ResultsWe estimate that the schoolchildren vaccination program conferred a 36% adjusted mortality reduction among Japanese seniors (95%CI: 17–51%), corresponding to ∼1,000 senior deaths averted by vaccination annually (95%CI: 400–1,800). In contrast, influenza-related mortality did not change among US seniors, despite increasing vaccine coverage in this population. ConclusionsThe Japanese schoolchildren vaccination program was associated with substantial indirect mortality benefits in seniors.

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

In 2023, the number of deaths from influenza in Japan decreased to 1383 cases, which marked an increase compared to just ** cases in the previous year. The death rate from influenza amounted to *** death cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

This dataset represents preliminary estimates of cumulative U.S. COVID-19 disease burden for the 2024-2025 period, including illnesses, outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. The weekly COVID-19-associated burden estimates are preliminary and based on continuously collected surveillance data from patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. The data come from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET), a surveillance platform that captures data from hospitals that serve about 10% of the U.S. population. Each week CDC estimates a range (i.e., lower estimate and an upper estimate) of COVID-19 -associated burden that have occurred since October 1, 2024.

Note: Data are preliminary and subject to change as more data become available. Rates for recent COVID-19-associated hospital admissions are subject to reporting delays; as new data are received each week, previous rates are updated accordingly.

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In the United States, the highest rate of hospitalizations due to influenza are among those aged 65 years and older. During the 2023-2024 flu season, the rate of hospitalizations due to influenza among this age group was about 401 per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of around 47 per 100,000 for those aged 5 to 17 years. Influenza is a common viral infection that usually does not require medical treatment. However, for the very young, the old, and those with certain pre-existing conditions, influenza can be serious and even deadly. The burden of influenza in the United States The impact of influenza in the United States varies from year to year depending on the strain that is most prevalent during that season and the immunity in the population. Preliminary estimates show that around 28,000 people died from influenza during the 2023-2024 flu season. However, during the 2017-2018 flu season, an estimated 52,000 people lost their lives to influenza. The importance of flu vaccines The best way to avoid catching the flu and to reduce the virus’s overall burden on society is by receiving an annual flu vaccination. The CDC currently recommends that everyone over 6 months of age should get a flu vaccination every year, preferably by the end of October. The flu vaccine is safe, efficient, and reduces the number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths caused by the virus. For example, during the 2022-2023 flu season, it was estimated that vaccinations averted almost 65 thousand influenza-related hospitalizations. However, despite the proven benefits and wide availability of flu vaccinations, a large percentage of people in the United States fail to receive a vaccination every year. During the 2022-2023 flu season, only about 35 percent of those aged 18 to 49 years were vaccinated against influenza, compared to 70 percent of those aged 65 years and older.