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.

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.

Project Tycho datasets contain case counts for reported disease conditions for countries around the world. The Project Tycho data curation team extracts these case counts from various reputable sources, typically from national or international health authorities, such as the US Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization. These original data sources include both open- and restricted-access sources. For restricted-access sources, the Project Tycho team has obtained permission for redistribution from data contributors. All datasets contain case count data that are identical to counts published in the original source and no counts have been modified in any way by the Project Tycho team. The Project Tycho team has pre-processed datasets by adding new variables, such as standard disease and location identifiers, that improve data interpretabilty. We also formatted the data into a standard data format. Each Project Tycho dataset contains case counts for a specific condition (e.g. measles) and for a specific country (e.g. The United States). Case counts are reported per time interval. In addition to case counts, datsets include information about these counts (attributes), such as the location, age group, subpopulation, diagnostic certainty, place of aquisition, and the source from which we extracted case counts. One dataset can include many series of case count time intervals, such as "US measles cases as reported by CDC", or "US measles cases reported by WHO", or "US measles cases that originated abroad", etc. Depending on the intended use of a dataset, we recommend a few data processing steps before analysis:

Analyze missing data: Project Tycho datasets do not inlcude time intervals for which no case count was reported (for many datasets, time series of case counts are incomplete, due to incompleteness of source documents) and users will need to add time intervals for which no count value is available. Project Tycho datasets do include time intervals for which a case count value of zero was reported. Separate cumulative from non-cumulative time interval series. Case count time series in Project Tycho datasets can be "cumulative" or "fixed-intervals". Cumulative case count time series consist of overlapping case count intervals starting on the same date, but ending on different dates. For example, each interval in a cumulative count time series can start on January 1st, but end on January 7th, 14th, 21st, etc. It is common practice among public health agencies to report cases for cumulative time intervals. Case count series with fixed time intervals consist of mutually exxclusive time intervals that all start and end on different dates and all have identical length (day, week, month, year). Given the different nature of these two types of case count data, we indicated this with an attribute for each count value, named "PartOfCumulativeCountSeries".

Influenza and pneumonia caused around 12.3 deaths in the U.S. per 100,000 population in 2019. Influenza and pneumonia are among the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for around 1.6 percent of all deaths in 2020. 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 35 million cases reported in 2019-2020. 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 2019-2020, there were around 16 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 2021, around 75 percent of those aged 65 years and older received a flu vaccine, while only 38 percent of those aged 18 to 49 years had done so.

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 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.

NOTE: This dataset is no longer being updated but is being kept for historical reference. For current data on respiratory illness visits and respiratory laboratory testing data please see Influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and Other Respiratory Virus Laboratory Surveillance and Inpatient, Emergency Department, and Outpatient Visits for Respiratory Illnesses. This dataset includes aggregated weekly metrics of the surveillance indicators that the Department of Public Health uses to monitor influenza activity in Chicago. These indicators include: Influenza-associated ICU hospitalizations for Chicago residents, which is a reportable condition in Illinois (HOSP_ columns) Influenza laboratory data provided by participating sentinel laboratories in Chicago (LAB_ columns) Influenza-like illness data for outpatient clinic visits and emergency department visits. (ILI_ columns) For more information on ILINET, see https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/overview.htm#anchor_1539281266932. For more information on ESSENCE, see https://www.dph.illinois.gov/data-statistics/syndromic-surveillance All data are provisional and subject to change. Information is updated as additional details are received. At any given time, this dataset reflects data currently known to CDPH. Numbers in this dataset may differ from other public sources.

This dataset includes weekly counts of laboratory-confirmed influenza (flu) cases, by county and influenza type, going back to the 2009-10 season. The primary goal of this dataset is to provide users timely information about local influenza activity throughout the current influenza season. Although each influenza season is unique, historical data is also provided for trend comparison.

Cases are included that meet the New York State Department of Health’s (NYSDOH) standardized case definition, i.e., a positive result on any of the following influenza laboratory tests: • Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests (RIDT) • Immunofluorescence assays (DFA and IFA) • Rapid Molecular Assays • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) • Other Nucleic Acid Amplification tests • Viral Culture

Please see the overview document for more details about NYSDOH’s influenza case definition. Cases reported during the CDC-defined influenza surveillance season (week 40-week 20 of the next calendar year; October through mid-May) are included. For more information see: http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/influenza/surveillance/.

This file contains the complete set of data reported to 122 Cities Mortality Reposting System. The system was retired as of 10/6/2016. While the system was running each week, the vital statistics offices of 122 cities across the United States reported the total number of death certificates processed and the number of those for which pneumonia or influenza was listed as the underlying or contributing cause of death by age group (Under 28 days, 28 days - 1 year, 1-14 years, 15-24 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years, 65-74 years, 75-84 years, and - 85 years). U:Unavailable. - : No reported cases.* Mortality data in this table were voluntarily reported from 122 cities in the United States, most of which have populations of >100,000. A death is reported by the place of its occurrence and by the week that the death certificate was filed. Fetal deaths are not included. Total includes unknown ages. More information on Flu Activity & Surveillance is available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivitysurv.htm.

This dataset contains the weekly estimated influenza risk level for each ZIP Code in Chicago. Estimates are made during flu season, which goes from MMWR week 40 to week 20 of the following year. The risk level is based on observed level of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI). ILI Activity Level is determined as follows: ILI percentage for each ZIP Code for the week is compared to the mean ILI percentage during the non-influenza months (summer months). Level 1 corresponds to an ILI percentage below the mean, level 2 to an ILI percentage less than one standard deviation (SD) above the mean, level 3 to an ILI percentage more than one, but less than two SDs above mean, and so on, with level 10 corresponding to an ILI percentage more than eight SDs above the mean. For more information on ESSENCE, which compiles the estimates, see https://www.dph.illinois.gov/data-statistics/syndromic-surveillance All data are provisional and subject to change. Information is updated as additional details are received. At any given time, this dataset reflects data currently known to CDPH. Numbers in this dataset may differ from other public sources.

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.

Monthly Cumulative Number and Percent of Persons Who Received ≥1 Influenza Vaccination Doses, by Flu Season, Age Group, and Jurisdiction

• Influenza vaccination coverage for children and adults is assessed through U.S. jurisdictions’ Immunization Information Systems (IIS) data, submitted from jurisdictions to CDC monthly in aggregate by age group. More information about the IIS can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/about.html.

• Influenza vaccination coverage estimate numerators include the number of people receiving at least one dose of influenza vaccine in a given flu season, based on information that state, territorial, and local public health agencies report to CDC. Some jurisdictions’ data may include data submitted by tribes. Estimates include persons who are deceased but received a vaccination during the current season. People receiving doses are attributed to the jurisdiction in which the person resides unless noted otherwise. Quality and completeness of data may vary across jurisdictions. Influenza vaccination coverage denominators are obtained from 2020 U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.

• Monthly estimates shown are cumulative, reflecting all persons vaccinated from July through a given month of that flu season. Cumulative estimates include any historical data reported since the previous submission. National estimates are not presented since not all U.S. jurisdictions are currently reporting their IIS data to CDC. Jurisdictions reporting data to CDC include U.S. states, some localities, and territories.

• Because IIS data contain all vaccinations administered within a jurisdiction rather than a sample, standard errors were not calculated and statistical testing for differences in estimates across years were not performed.

• Laws and policies regarding the submission of vaccination data to an IIS vary by state, which may impact the completeness of vaccination coverage reflected for a jurisdiction. More information on laws and policies are found at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/policy-legislation.html.

• Coverage estimates based on IIS data are expected to differ from National Immunization Survey (NIS) estimates for children (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/dashboard/vaccination-coverage-race.html) and adults (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/dashboard/vaccination-adult-coverage.html) because NIS estimates are based on a sample that may not be representative after survey weighting and vaccination status is determined by survey respondent rather than vaccine records or administrations, and quality and completeness of IIS data may vary across jurisdictions. In general, NIS estimates tend to overestimate coverage due to overreporting and IIS estimates may underestimate coverage due to incompleteness of data in certain jurisdictions.