This winter, it feels like everyone is sick. More specifically, with the flu. According to the CDC, the number of flu cases has hit a 15-year high. Additionally, hospitals nationwide have reported 50,000 admissions for the flu in just the past 7 days. 45 states have either “high” or “very high” flu activity, per the CDC website. Ohio, Michigan, and Texas have been hit particularly hard. Ohio has reported nearly 1,400 hospitalizations in the past week, up almost 90% from the previous week. In addition to this, flu cases are soaring above the 5-year average in the state of Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health website. All of these cases leave people wondering why it's surging, and what they can do about it. Let's dive in.
Although it's hard to pinpoint why this is the case, one possible reason that flu cases may be up is that the majority of Americans reported not getting their flu shot in 2024-25. This is alarming, considering that the flu shot has been around for years and is revised every year. The flu shot has been proven to be effective. While it may not prevent you from getting the disease altogether, it will help your body fight the disease if it comes into contact with it. Now, despite flu shots being effective, it is important to note that influenza changes every year. The doctors who develop the vaccine take a look at the virus and see how it mutates year by year. The process they use has been around for 70 years, per the CDC. Most of the time, they get it right, to the point where the vaccine is incredibly effective, but in other years, it does not work so well. In addition to this, the virus is simply stronger some years. There’s no real reason for this, it just depends on how it mutates. The southern hemisphere, which has an earlier flu season than us up north, saw only a 35% efficacy when it came to the shot fighting the virus. This would be considered a poor or bad year for the shot. Professionals agree, however, that it is never too late to get your vaccine.
Although vaccines are proven to be effective at preventing illness, it's important to do some basic things to keep yourself safe during cold and flu season. Of course, the most important thing to do is wash your hands and stay away from sick people. Another underrated tip is to stop touching your face. If you limit the contact of your hands to your face, the odds of contracting any diseases go down drastically. It's important not to overthink things when it comes to keeping yourself safe. So keep those hands clean, and steer clear of people who may give you a taste of the flu.
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