How Many People Die From The Flu This Season

How Many People Died From Flu During The 2017

While flu deaths in children are reported to CDC, flu deaths in adults are not nationally notifiable. In order to monitor influenza related deaths in all age groups, CDC tracks pneumonia and influenza -attributed deaths through the National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Reporting System. This system tracks the proportion of death certificates processed that list pneumonia or influenza as the underlying or contributing cause of death. This system provides an overall indication of whether flu-associated deaths are elevated, but does not provide an exact number of how many people died from flu.

During the 2017-2018 season, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was at or above the epidemic threshold for 16 consecutive weeks. During the past five seasons, the average number of weeks this indicator was above threshold was 11 . Nationally, mortality attributed to P& I exceeded 10.0% for four consecutive weeks, peaking at 10.8% during the week ending January 20, 2018.

For more information, see Overview of Influenza Surveillance in the United States, Mortality Surveillance.

Why Did The Estimates For The 2017

CDCs model used to estimate the burden of flu includes information collected about flu testing practices. Because current testing data was not available at the time of estimation , the estimates that were previously published on the CDC website were made using testing information from prior flu seasons.

Since then, complete information to estimate the burden of the 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020 flu seasons has become available.

• Final testing information from the 2017-2018 seasons indicated an increase in testing for flu across all age groups and the FluSurv-NET Because the percent of individuals who were tested for flu was high in all age groups, the adjustment for under-detection of flu was lower and our 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 burden estimates decreased.
• The death estimates for the 2019-2020 season increased after incorporating information from this season. It is possible that the reason for the increase in the number of deaths is because more deaths were categorized as pneumonia and influenza deaths, despite removing time periods impacted by the emergence of COVID-19. Also, it is possible that the adjustment factors increased because testing for flu decreased during the 2019-2020 season especially as COVID-19 began to surge. Although we excluded data from April 2020 through the end of this season, it is possible that data during the first few months of 2020 could be affected by COVID-19 before it was recognized.

How Does Flu Risk Vary Byage

As with COVID-19, most flu deaths occur among Americans aged 65 or older. As of March 19, almost 81% of people who have died from COVID-19 have been in this age group. This is within the range of a normal flu season, with older Americans making up 62% of flu deaths in the 2019-2020 season, 75% in the 2018-2019 season, and 83% in the 2017-2018 season.

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About 61000 People Died In The 2017

Since not everyone sick with the flu visits a doctor, and not all flu deaths occur in the hospital, the CDC uses mathematical modeling based on its surveillance data to estimate the total number of illnesses and deaths. This model considers factors like testing frequency, the likelihood of seeking medical care, and underreporting on death certificates. The flu can lead to death by pneumonia, congestive heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in which case flu testing may occur too late or not at all. According to the CDC, only counting deaths where influenza was recorded on a death certificate would be a gross underestimation of influenzas true impact. For comparison, CDC death certificate data shows that just 5,894 people died of the flu in 2019.

Still, state-level unadjusted death certificate data can help show how flu mortality rates vary across the nation.

When Is The Best Time To Get The Flu Vaccine

Getting the flu vaccine every year provides multiple benefits, including, reducing illness and preventing flu-related hospitalization.

The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older should get the vaccine in the early fall, before the virus starts to spread.

The vaccine takes two weeks to develop antibodies that will protect against the virus.

Getting the vaccine in July or August is associated with reduced protection according to the CDC.

There are two ways a person can get the flu vaccine, including a physical shot or a nasal spray.

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How Effective Was The 2017

The overall vaccine effectiveness of the 2017-2018 flu vaccine against both influenza A and B viruses is estimated to be 40%. This means the flu vaccine reduced a persons overall risk of having to seek medical care at a doctors office for flu illness by 40%. Protection by virus type and subtype was: 25% against A, 65% against A and 49% against influenza B viruses. These VE estimates were presented to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on June 20, 2018.

While flu vaccine can vary in how well it works, flu vaccination is the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications and prevents millions of flu illnesses and related doctors visits and tens of thousands of hospitalizations. For example, during the 20162017 influenza season, CDC estimates that flu vaccine prevented an estimated 5.3 million illnesses, 2.6 million medical visits, and 85,000 hospitalizations associated with influenza. Similar estimates for 2017-2018 will be released in fall 2018. Influenza vaccination also has been shown to reduce the risk of flu death in children.

For more information about previous vaccine effectiveness, visit How Well Does the Seasonal Flu Vaccine Work?.

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Articles On Flu Risks & Prevention

How many people get the flu each year? How much does it cost us? How well does the vaccine work?

Here’s a rundown of some important statistics based on the best available data.

5% to 20% — Percentage of the U.S. population that will get the flu, on average, each year.

200,000 — Average number of Americans hospitalized each year because of problems with the illness.

8,200 to 20,000 — Number of people who die each year from flu-related causes in the U.S.

$10 billion+ — Average costs of hospitalizations and outpatient doctor visits related to the flu.

1 to 4 days — Typical time it takes for symptoms to show up once you’ve caught the virus. Adults can be contagious from the day before symptoms begin through 5 to 10 days after the illness starts.

Peak flu season in the U.S.

162 million to 169 million — Number of flu vaccinedoses expected to be available in the U.S. for the 2019-2020 flu season.

6 months — The youngest age for which the CDC recommends a flu shot.

Swine flu — A new type that spread worldwide during 2009-2010, causing the first flu pandemic — global outbreak of disease — caused by a new flu virus in more than 40 years. It’s estimated that the pandemic caused more than 12,000 flu-related deaths in the U.S. In contrast to seasonal flu, nearly 90% of the deaths were of people younger than 65.

3 viruses — You get protection from two influenza A viruses and one influenza B virus with the 2019-206 “trivalent” flu vaccine:

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People Died In The Worst Flu Season Of The Past Decade Covid

Around 61,000 people died from influenza in the 2017-2018 flu season, the most in the last 10 years. Almost 529,000 people have died of COVID-19 as of mid-March.

With the COVID-19 vaccination effort continuing and the infection rate declining, the nation might soon return to something like normal. But the US still contends with viruses like the seasonal flu annually. While much less deadly than the COVID-19 pandemic, the average flu season kills thousands of Americans each year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

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How Flu Affects Babies And Young Children

• Their anatomy does not allow congestion to drain as well, and children can have fluid in the ear that eventually can grow bacteria.
• Young children, especially those who are frequently around other children, such as in a daycare setting, can carry bacteria in their noses. This bacteria may not pose a threat when the child is healthy, but if a virus such as flu infects the child, that bacteria can cause a secondary bacterial co-infection that can be severe and possibly fatal.

Because the virus is spread through droplets, children may be more prone to spreading the flu because they are more prone to touching their noses, and poor hand-washing, says Dr. Madani. Therefore, Dr. Madani suggests giving them an immunization and teaching children to:

• Cover their mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, and make sure they throw away dirty tissues immediately.
• Sneeze or cough into the sleeve of their clothing at the inner elbow to contain sprays of saliva and secretions and to avoid contaminating their hands.
• Wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after their cough or sneeze.
• Avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth, as germs are often spread this way.

How Many People Die From The Flu Each Year

The answer is slightly complicated: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesnt have an exact count of the number of people who die from influenza each year. Instead, the federal agency develops estimates based on rates of confirmed hospitalizations from the flu.

For that reason, its difficult to compare flu deaths with those of COVID-19, which are actual documented deaths, says Dr. Russo. COVID deaths have been very specificyou have to have a positive COVID test for it to be attributable to COVID, he says.

According to preliminary estimates from the CDC, 25,000 people died from flu in the 2019-2020 flu season. There were no estimates for the 2020-2021 season due to minimal influenza activity, the CDC says, and its estimated that 5,000 people died from the flu last year.

The number of flu deaths varies by season, though. In the 2018-2019 season, an estimated 52,000 people died of the flu, per CDC data.

And, of course, COVID-19 has screwed things up a bit. Flu death estimates traditionally incorporated pneumonia cases and COVID has made that challenging given that people can also die of pneumonia caused by COVID-19, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Many times in the past, death certificates would simply say pneumonia if someone died from pneumonia caused by the flu, Dr. Adalja says.

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When Is The Flu Season

The CDC determines the start and end of flu season by monitoring flu activity illnesses, medical visits, and hospitalizations through its influenza surveillance systems. Most seasons begin in October, peak between December and February, and continue through May. The 2019-2020 flu season was unusual in that flu activity began to decline in March. According to the CDC, this was perhaps associated with community prevention measures for COVID-19.

Patients With Uncomplicated Seasonal Influenza:

Patients that are not from a high risk group should be managed with symptomatic treatment and are advised, if symptomatic, to stay home in order to minimize the risk of infecting others in the community. Treatment focuses on relievingsymptoms of influenza such as fever. Patients should monitor themselves to detect if their condition deteriorates and seek medical attention Patients that are known to be in a group at high risk for developing severe or complicated illness, should be treated with antivirals in addition to symptomatic treatment as soon as possible.

Patients with severe or progressive clinical illness associated with suspected or confirmed influenza virus infection should be treated withantiviral drug as soon as possible.

• Neuraminidase inhibitors should be prescribed as soon as possible to maximize therapeutic benefits. Administration of the drug should also be considered in patients presenting laterin the course of illness.
• Treatment is recommended for a minimum of 5 days, but can be extended until there is satisfactory clinical improvement.
• Corticosteroids should not be used routinely, unless indicated for other reasons as it has been associated with prolonged viral clearance, immunosuppression leading to bacterial or fungal superinfection.
• All currently circulating influenza viruses are resistant to adamantane antiviral drugs , and these are therefore not recommended for monotherapy.

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Table : Estimated Flu Disease Burden By Season United States 2010

** Estimates are not available for the 2020-2021 flu season due to minimal influenza activity.

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How Many People Die Of The Flu Each Year In The United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the average number of deaths from the flu is smaller than in the US.

In the UK, the average deaths per year from the flu ranges from 10,000-25,000.

In a study done regarding yearly flu deaths in the UK, it found that out of the 5.5 million consultations a year related to acute respiratory illness, an estimated 600,000 are flu related.

The flu is a viral infection that attacks the lungs, nose, and throat.

The most common symptoms of the flu include:

• diarrhea or tummy pain
• feeling sick or being sick

In order to prevent the flu or lessen symptoms, it is recommended to get the flu shot prior to flu season starting.

In 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic, many people had flu like symptoms that ended up being COVID-19.

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Influenza A Vs Influenza B

Both strains of influenza cause typical flu symptoms, like fever, fatigue, body aches, chills, sore throat, and cough. Its unlikely patients would be able to tell the difference between A or B without a lab test. However, Influenza B is slower to develop, which is why it typically appears later in the season. Its also more likely to impact children and younger adults instead of the elderly. This could explain why more people were infected with the flu earlier in the year over previous years, but the number of hospitalizations and deaths were lower.

Younger Americans Tend To Fall Ill With The Flu More Often

Children younger than five are likeliest to get the flu, as well as to see a doctor about it, followed by older children and adults the CDC notes that adults aged 18 to 64 tend to have lower rates of vaccination. But older Americans, despite being the least likely to get sick, are the most likely to be hospitalized and die.

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Does Getting Flu With Covid Double The Risk Of Death

This statistic was quoted by Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency , in a recent interview.12 The claim is supported by research from Public Health England, published in August 2021 in the International Journal of Epidemiology,13 which found that patients with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus coinfection were around twice as likely to die ) than people with SARS-CoV-2 alone.

How Much Flu Vaccine Was Produced And Distributed During The 2017

Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, so supply depends on manufacturers. For the 2017-2018 season, manufacturers originally projected they would provide between 151 million and 166 million doses of injectable vaccine for the U.S. market. As of February 23, 2018, manufacturers reported having shipped approximately 155.3 million doses of flu vaccine a record number of flu vaccine doses distributed. More information about flu vaccine supply is available at Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Supply & Distribution.

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