The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 5 estimated that more than 11 million people have been sickened with influenza so far this season as cases have started to rise.
The CDC also estimated that for the 2025–2026 flu season, there have been 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths associated with the virus. The current season, it said, was classified as “moderately severe for the first time.”
