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.

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.

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.

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.

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

This statistic shows the estimated number of people who died in the United States during influenza pandemics. During the Spanish flu from 1918 to 1919 around 675,000 people in the U.S. were estimated to have died. More recently, around 12,469 people died from the swine flu or H1N1 pandemic in 2009.

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.

In 2021, there were four death cases caused by the influenza virus in China. The death rate of the virus amounted to approximately 0.0003 out of ten million people. Influenza, commonly known as "flu", is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by influenza A or B viruses and can be prevented by vaccines. It should be noted that the Chinese health authorities calculate death cases for infectious diseases differently, counting only patients who died directly from the infectious disease.

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.

Australia Influenza Mortality jumped by 8% in 2019, from a year earlier.

This statistic shows the estimated number of people who died worldwide during influenza pandemics. During the Spanish flu from 1918 to 1919 around 50 million people were estimated to have died. More recently, between 151,700 and 575,400 people died from the swine flu or H1N1 pandemic in 2009.

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.

In 2023, the number of deaths from influenza in Japan decreased to 1383 cases, which marked an increase compared to just 24 cases in the previous year. The death rate from influenza amounted to 1.1 death cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

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.

Chicago residents who are up to date with influenza vaccines by ZIP Code, based on the reported home address and age group of the person vaccinated, as provided by the medical provider in the Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange (I-CARE). “Up to date” refers to individuals aged 6 months and older who have received 1+ doses of influenza vaccine during the current season, defined as the beginning of July (MMWR week 27) through the end of the following June (MMWR week 26). Data Notes: Weekly cumulative totals of people up to date are shown for each combination ZIP Code and age group. Note there are rows where age group is "All ages" so care should be taken when summing rows. Weeks begin on a Sunday and end on a Saturday. Coverage percentages are calculated based on the cumulative number of people in each ZIP Code and age group who are considered up to date as of the week ending date divided by the estimated number of people in that subgroup. Population counts are obtained from the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census. For ZIP Codes mostly outside Chicago, coverage percentages are not calculated because reliable Chicago-only population counts are not available. Actual counts may exceed population estimates and lead to coverage estimates that are greater than 100%, especially in smaller ZIP Codes with smaller populations. Additionally, the medical provider may report a work address or incorrect home address for the person receiving the vaccination, which may lead to over- or underestimation of vaccination coverage by geography. All coverage percentages are capped at 99%. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) uses the most complete data available to estimate influenza vaccination coverage among Chicagoans, but there are several limitations that impact our estimates. Influenza vaccine administration is not required to be reported in Illinois, except for publicly funded vaccine (e.g., Vaccines for Children, Section 317). Individuals may receive vaccinations that are not recorded in I-CARE, such as those administered in another state, or those administered by a provider that does not submit data to I-CARE, causing underestimation of the number individuals who received an influenza vaccine for the current season. All data are provisional and subject to change. Information is updated as additional details are received and it is, in fact, very common for recent dates to be incomplete and to be updated as time goes on. At any given time, this dataset reflects data currently known to CDPH. Numbers in this dataset may differ from other public sources due to when data are reported and how City of Chicago boundaries are defined. For all datasets related to influenza, see https://data.cityofchicago.org/browse?limitTo=datasets&sortBy=alpha&tags=flu . Data Source: Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange (I-CARE), U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census