At least 20 million Americans have been infected with the flu since October, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These numbers include at least 270,000 influenza hospitalizations and 11,000 deaths, including 52 pediatric deaths this flu season.
“This is a pretty high number compared to years past,” says Dr. Tyler B. Evans, an infectious disease expert and CEO of the Wellness Equity Alliance, a public health organization for underserved populations. Currently, the most common influenza strain infecting people is the influenza A (H3N2) virus strain known as “subclade K.” The flu is responsible for 90% of this season’s infections and is considered a “super flu” by some media outlets.
“I wouldn’t call this a ‘super flu,’ but it’s more severe than in previous seasons,” Evans said, adding that “severity” in this context typically refers to how contagious it is. Symptom-wise, he notes, it’s similar to most other influenza strains.
Evans cited two reasons for the increased level of spread this year. First, “vaccines aren’t as effective as they usually are,” he says. To be clear, this is “still very effective,” Evans says. It just lacks the same degree of protection as previous years because of some virus mutations in this year’s dominant influenza strains that vaccine makers hadn’t predicted.
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The second reason is that “vaccination is way down, so the number of infections is going up,” Evans said. About 42.5% of U.S. children had received their flu shot by Dec. 20, the lowest since 2019, NBC News reported on Jan. 9. Even with mutations in current influenza strains, the UK Health and Safety Executive estimates that the 2025-26 flu vaccine will still be 70-75% effective in children and 30-40% effective in adults.
“It’s much better than doing nothing,” Evans said.
Evans said if people decide not to get a flu shot, they usually see little benefit from the vaccine. And vaccine hesitancy is rising more broadly across the United States.
But in terms of transmissibility, the current flu is the most severe for adults since the 2017-2018 season and the most severe for children since the 2010-2011 season, Evans said. And the vaccine has been approved as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which collaborates with other health organizations and manufacturers on its formulation each year.
Here are some signs to look out for to tell the difference between the flu and a cold, and how to best protect yourself during the rest of the particularly contagious flu season.
Doctor’s tips to protect yourself and others from the flu
There’s about a month left in flu season, which typically tapers off after February, but Evans says you should still get the flu shot if you haven’t already. He says this advice is most important for children, parents, people living in big cities, and people living in multigenerational households or small apartments with roommates.
Although vaccination cannot completely prevent infection, “even if infected, the animals recover from wild conditions to mild symptoms,” he said, adding, “It’s not too late to get vaccinated and it will definitely make a difference.”
Regardless of whether you’ve gotten the flu shot or not, if you notice you’re experiencing minor symptoms, such as a mild sore throat, or if you have a sick child at home, Evans strongly recommends wearing a mask if possible and maintaining a safe social distance from others to reduce the chance of others getting sick.
Some people may need to take flu prevention more seriously. Adults over 65, children under 2, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions are at higher risk for severe complications from the disease. If any of these apply to you, you may need to wear a mask more often, such as when traveling, commuting, or working at the office.
And no matter who you are, if you find yourself sick, remember that “treatment is available,” says Evans. Instead of trying to relieve symptoms with ibuprofen and hot tea, she suggests calling your doctor or visiting an emergency room to see if they can prescribe Tamiflu or another type of medication.
Always consult your doctor about the best path for your personal health.
Be careful of these symptoms when you are sick
It can be difficult to determine whether you have a stubborn cold or a more serious illness like the flu. According to Evans, you’re more likely to be experiencing the latter if you have a combination of the following symptoms:
fever cough severe body pain fatigue
Body aches are the biggest sign you have the flu, not a cold, he says.
“If a person is actually in bed and just can’t get up and is really complaining of body aches, that’s the flu,” Evans says. “A cold causes symptoms such as fever, sniffles, and cough. So we can differentiate based on that.”
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