Roughly 90% were not vaccinated; child flu hospitalizations are at a 15-year high<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
MONDAY, Feb. 2, 2026 (HealthDay News) \u2014 The flu<\/a> is hitting kids hard this season.<\/p>\n So far, 52 kids have died from the flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC) said on Jan. 30. About 9 in 10 had not received a flu shot.<\/p>\n Health experts say they\u2019re worried the worst may still be ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re absolutely bracing ourselves,\u201d Michele Slafkosky<\/a>, executive director of Families Fighting Flu, told NBC News<\/em>. \u201cWe\u2019re concerned that we\u2019re not even at the peak of flu season yet.\u201d<\/p>\n The CDC estimates there have already been at least 20 million flu cases this season, leading to about 270,000 hospital stays and 11,000 deaths across all ages.<\/p>\n Flu activity rose again last week after several weeks of slowing. Most cases are linked to a flu A strain called H3N2, but a flu B strain is now spreading quickly.<\/p>\n The CDC says it\u2019s common to see more than one flu wave in a season, especially in January and February.<\/p>\n This season also has the highest rate of flu hospitalizations among kids in 15 years, the CDC reported.<\/p>\n By late December, weekly hospital admissions for kids under 18 had reached their highest level since the 2010-2011 flu season.<\/p>\n Emergency room visits for flu also increased among children ages 5 to 17 in late January. Rates for other age groups were stable or declined.<\/p>\n At the same time, fewer kids are getting vaccinated.<\/p>\n As of Jan. 17, 45.1% of children ages 6 months to 17 years had received a flu shot, data<\/a> show. That compares to 63.7% during the 2019-2020 season.<\/p>\n Last season was the deadliest ever recorded for children, with 289 pediatric flu deaths. By this point last year, 47 kids had died.<\/p>\n Earlier last month, the Trump administration changed long-standing guidance<\/a> that recommended yearly flu shots for all children starting at 6 months of age. Parents are now encouraged to talk with their pediatrician instead.<\/p>\n Major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, continue to recommend annual flu vaccines.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can you not see a correlation of more deaths and more hospitalizations with less vaccinations?\u201d Slafkosky said. \u201cI can\u2019t stress it enough: It\u2019s not too late to get a flu shot. It may not keep you from getting the flu, but it may prevent you from more serious complications, and keep you and your children out of the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The American Academy of Pediatrics has a childhood immunization schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n