Americans face the highest death toll from influenza since 2018, as more people become vulnerable because of growing vaccine skepticism taking hold in statehouses and the Trump administration.
Flu-related deaths hit a seven-year high in January and February, the two months that usually account for the height of flu season, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary federal statistics.
Despite that, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services canceled or postponed meetings to prepare for next fall’s flu vaccine, when experts talk about what influenza strains they expect they’ll be battling.
Flu and COVID-19 vaccine signs are displayed at a Duane Reade in New York City.
The cancellations raised protests from medical professionals and state and federal officials.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said her state is having its worst flu season in at least 15 years, with more deaths from flu and other causes as the state’s health care system struggles under the strain of flu patients.
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Some experts say putting off vaccine planning will only feed false narratives that discourage lifesaving vaccinations.
“These delays not only weaken pandemic preparedness but also undermine public confidence in vaccination efforts,†said Dr. Akram Khan, an Oregon pulmonologist and associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University who studies attitudes toward vaccines.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. expressed doubt about the need for vaccines, including for flu, despite evidence that they reduce deaths and hospitalizations.
Deaths fluctuate naturally from year to year depending on the severity of current flu strains and the effectiveness of that year’s vaccines. Still, some see a hesitancy to use any vaccine, fed by misinformation and political mistrust of government, taking a toll on lives.
“It’s been a bad winter for viral respiratory infections, not just in the United States but across the Northern Hemisphere,†said Mark Doherty, a vaccine scholar and former manager for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, a vaccine manufacturer.
“The U.S. does appear to be hit a bit harder, and it’s possible lower vaccination coverage is contributing to that,†he said.
Flu vaccine distribution in the United States declined in recent years, and as of the first week of 2025 was down 16% from 2022, according to federal statistics.
The flu was a factor in 9,800 deaths in January and February, according to the analysis, using provisional data collected by states and compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's up from 5,000 in the same period last year and the most since 2018, when there were about 10,800.
The highest death rates were in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Kentucky, all at about four deaths per 100,000 population so far this year. Some counties in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as Oklahoma and Kentucky, were even higher — at about six deaths per 100,000.
The highest rates were among older people. Statistics show the deaths hit white people and American Indians especially hard.
Tragedies are happening across the country to people of all ages and races, however. A 43-year-old Indiana father died after a brief bout of the flu, according to family members. After two 10-year-olds died in Prince George’s County, Maryland, area schools drew crowds to vaccine clinics.
Doug Sides, a pastor at Yulee Baptist Church in northern Florida, held funerals for three congregation members who died from flu — all within one month, all of them over 70 years old. That compares with only one victim of COVID-19 from his congregation during the pandemic, he said.
The American Cancer Society says vaccination for people with cancer may or may not be recommended, depending on individual circumstances.
Many states are relaxing vaccine requirements as public skepticism rises. Still, many warn residents and try to reassure them that vaccinations are safe and can help prevent deaths, despite misinformation to the contrary.
Burlington County, New Jersey, had the highest flu-associated death rate of any county this year, according to the analysis, with 31 deaths among fewer than 500,000 people. The county held 30 free vaccine clinics from September to January, then extended them into February because of the severity of the flu season, said Dave Levinsky, a spokesperson for the county health department.
In Oklahoma, death rates are highest in the eastern part of the state where the Cherokee Nation is centered. A state publicity campaign stresses that flu shots are safe, effective and free at many community health centers. However, vaccination rates in the state are low compared with other states as of December, according to federal statistics: Only about 16% of Oklahoma residents had gotten flu vaccinations by then. Rates were even lower in Louisiana (just under 16%), Mississippi (12%) and Texas (10%).
States with the highest flu vaccination rates by December were Maine (37%), Connecticut and Vermont (33%), and Wisconsin and Minnesota (31%). Still, even those were down since 2022.
