2024‑2025 flu season – The prior season records the highest pediatric death toll since systematic tracking began, with 289 children dying and hospitalization rates reaching the highest level in 15 years, underscoring the vulnerability of unvaccinated kids. [6]

Dec 13, 2025 – The United States sees an early surge driven by the new A(H3N2) subclade K variant; CDC data show the first pediatric flu death of the season and a child‑vaccination rate of only 38 %, prompting Tim Uyeki to urge “everyone … to get vaccinated.” [6]

Dec 20, 2025 – Flu, norovirus and COVID‑19 cases climb ahead of the busiest holiday travel week on record (≈122 million trips); the H3N2 subclade K accounts for ≈89 % of tested H3N2 infections, and officials stress early antivirals and vaccination. [10]

Dec 23, 2025 – CDC’s holiday‑season update reports 7.5 million flu illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths through Dec 20, with only ≈17 % of children vaccinated, reinforcing the call to test early and start antivirals within 48 hours. [5]

Dec 26, 2025 – New York City records a decade‑high surge in “super flu” symptoms, logging ≈10,000 emergency‑department visits for influenza‑like illness in the week ending Dec 20, prompting officials to stress early antiviral treatment and vaccination. [9]

Dec 30, 2025 – Flu activity reaches a 25‑year high nationwide as subclade K spreads; CDC FluView shows 8.2 % of outpatient visits for fever‑plus‑cough/sore‑throat, and vaccination rates fall to 42 % in children and ≈48 million doses in adults. [4]

Dec 30, 2025 – Five states (Colorado, Louisiana, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey) report “very high” activity; CDC lab‑test positivity jumps 25.6 % week‑over‑week and pediatric deaths rise to eight for the season. [8]

Dec 31, 2025 – Ohio reports its first pediatric flu death of the season, a teenager from Greene County, and officials label the loss “tragic” while urging parents to protect their kids. [18]

Jan 5, 2026 – CDC surveillance shows 45 states with high or very high flu activity during the Christmas week, and HHS announces it will no longer recommend universal flu shots for children, shifting the decision to parents and clinicians; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posts on social media, “That practice ends now.” [13]

Jan 6, 2026 – CDC data place 19 states at the highest influenza‑activity tier (Level 13) and 30 states in the “very high” bracket, a rapid jump from mid‑December and prompting experts to warn of a “super flu” surge. [7]

Jan 7, 2026 – U.S. flu activity hits the highest level in more than 25 years, measured by doctor visits for fever, sore throat or cough; CNN invites the public to share personal illness stories, highlighting the human impact of the surge. [3]

Jan 8, 2026 – Ohio’s health director reports 1,911 flu‑related hospitalizations in one week (a rise from 1,305 a year earlier) and confirms the state’s first pediatric flu death, emphasizing that children < 11 years and adults > 65 years face the greatest risk. [17]

Jan 9, 2026 – CDC notes a record‑week flu surge (≈40,000 hospitalizations, 12 per 100,000) but cautions the season has not peaked; eight new pediatric deaths bring the national child toll to 17. [2]

Jan 9, 2026 – New CDC figures show a slight decline in outpatient visits, yet 91 % of H3N2 samples belong to subclade K; federal officials stop recommending flu vaccination for children, advising parents to consult doctors. [12]

Jan 12, 2026 – Arctic blasts drive people indoors across the eastern U.S.; CDC reports flu activity remains high in 44 states, with ≈40,000 hospital admissions in the week ending Jan 3 and eight pediatric deaths this season. [16]

Jan 12, 2026 – CDC releases a mid‑season tally of >15 million flu cases, >180,000 hospitalizations and ≈7,400 deaths, labeling the A(H3N2) subclade K a “super flu” and noting that pediatric deaths total 17 (eight in the first week of 2026). [15][25]

Jan 14‑15, 2026 – Western Washington emergency departments see flu‑like visits rise from ≈300 weekly in December to >560 in January; vaccination coverage stalls at ≈31 %, and CDC confirms nine pediatric deaths nationwide, while officials stress that the flu shot still cuts severe illness by 40‑50 %. [23]

Jan 16, 2026 – Four‑year‑old Ellie Rudd dies in Utah after a flu infection leads to pneumonia, sepsis and a massive stroke; her mother, Sarah Rudd, urges other parents, saying “I hope other parents get the flu shot,” as CDC data show 90 % of child deaths are unvaccinated. [1]

Jan 16, 2026 – CDC reports a two‑week decline in flu activity, with high‑activity states dropping from 44 to 36, yet officials warn the season remains “moderate” and could surge again after the holidays. [11]

Jan 22, 2026 – Thurston County announces a flu‑related death; Washington State tallies 39 lab‑confirmed flu deaths this season (up 5 from the prior year), with influenza A dominant. [22]

Jan 27, 2026 – Kittitas County confirms a flu death; Washington’s total rises to 59 deaths, most among adults 65+, and flu accounts for 3.5 % of ER visits that week, reinforcing calls to stay home when sick and get vaccinated. [21]

Jan 29, 2026 – A Snohomish County teenager becomes Washington’s first pediatric flu fatality of the season; officials describe the outbreak as “more severe than a year ago” and note the state has recorded 59 flu deaths overall. [20]

Feb 5, 2026 – Kitsap County reports a second pediatric flu death in Washington (a young child), with Health Officer Dr. Herbie Duber calling the loss “a profound tragedy” and urging at‑risk individuals to get vaccinated during the peak season. [19]