The estimated flu hospitalization rate for the week ending Oct. 17 is the highest for that point in the season since the 2010-11 flu season, according to the CDC’s latest FluView report.
Seasonal flu activity remains low nationally, but test positivity, outpatient visits for flu-like illness, emergency department visits with a flu diagnosis and lab-confirmed hospitalizations have been rising since late August or early September. The CDC said early-season activity is higher than typically observed at this time of year. Last week, test positivity jumped 28% to open the 2026-27 season.
Here are five things to know:
- FluSurv-NET, which covers about 10% of the U.S. population, recorded a weekly hospitalization rate of 1.1 per 100,000, unchanged from last week. After accounting for reporting delays, the CDC estimates the Week 41 rate likely falls between 1.5 and 2 per 100,000, the highest Week 41 rate since the 2010-11 season. Adults 65 and older had the highest rate at 7.4 per 100,000, followed by adults ages 50 to 64 at 2.3 and children 4 and younger at 1.7. Separately, hospitals reported 4,811 lab-confirmed flu admissions to the National Healthcare Safety Network. The admission rate of 1.4 per 100,000 was stable compared with Week 40 but trending upward.
- Clinical labs reported 2,918 positive specimens, or 5.7% of those tested. That is up from 5% last week. Positivity rose nationally and in HHS Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9. Of the 241 influenza A viruses subtyped by public health labs, 99.2% were H1N1 and none were H3N2.
- Zero point nine percent of emergency department visits carried a flu diagnosis, stable from the previous week. Visits rose among children 4 and younger and ages 5 to 17. The CDC tracks flu, COVID-19 and RSV emergency department visits together.
- Flu-like illness accounted for 2.2% of outpatient visits, stable from Week 40 and below the national baseline of 2.9%. The number of metro areas with moderate activity jumped to 25 from eight the week before, according to the CDC’s activity map.
- Of 88 H1N1 viruses antigenically characterized, 93.2% were well recognized by antisera to the vaccine reference virus. The CDC said circulating H1N1 viruses are splitting into groups with different genetic changes, and it is too early to say whether that could affect vaccine effectiveness. The agency continues to recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older. No pediatric flu deaths have been reported this season.
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