Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the flu is on the rise in the United States, with 44 states experiencing high levels.
The agency said 31 US jurisdictions, which include the territories and the District of Columbia, have "very high" levels, while 16 areas had "high" levels as of Nov. 26. Only Alaska, Vermont and Michigan have reported low flu transmission, while West Virginia and Hawaii are seeing moderate levels.


Eleven states — including California, Texas and Virginia — have the highest levels of respiratory disease activity, according to the CDC. CDC officials said 7.5 percent of outpatient doctor visits in the past week were due to flu-like illnesses.

"Seasonal flu activity is high and continuing to increase across the country," the CDC also said. "Influenza hospitalizations reported to the [Health and Human Services] Protect system during week 47 nearly doubled compared to week 46," he added.

The CDC estimates there have been at least 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from the flu so far this season. At least 14 children are among the dead.

A busy flu season is not unexpected. The United States has seen two mild periods during the COVID-19 pandemic, while some doctors say pandemic-related rules have worsened this year's flu surge.

At the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital, beds have reportedly been full for 54 days straight. "All the curves are going up for RSV and influenza," said Dr. John Cunningham, Comer's chief physician.

At the same time, some officials believe that RSV infections have increased recently because children are now more vulnerable and no longer protected from common bugs as they were during pandemic lockdowns. The virus, which usually affects children aged 1 and 2, now affects more children under the age of 5.

Usually, RSV is a common and mild virus, but millions of children are exposed to it later in life due to pandemic-related stay-at-home orders and virtual learning rules.

The dominant flu strain so far is the type typically associated with higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths, especially in people age 65 and older, according to the CDC.

Shortcomings
Authorities also said there have been shortages of Tamiflu, amoxicillin and other drugs in recent weeks. There have also been sporadic reports of shortages of Children's Tylenol, although its manufacturer has said there is no shortage.

According to GoodRx, a company that helps people find discounts on prescription drugs, prescriptions for Tamiflu are high this time of year. Several different Tamiflu or oseltamivir products are affected, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) said through its database.

“Right now we have a serious shortage of medicines. There is no Tamiflu for children. There is almost no Tamiflu for adults. And that's brand name and generic," says Renae Kraft, a pharmacist in Oklahoma City, adding, "When it comes to antibiotics, there aren't many."

"In the 25 years I've been a pediatrician, I've never seen anything like this," pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Stacene Maroushe from Minnesota. "I've seen families that just can't rest. They have one viral illness after another. And now there's the secondary effect of ear infections and pneumonia causing shortages of amoxicillin."

Some parents have reported on social media that they are having trouble finding Children's Tylenol, which is used to reduce fever, in various locations. Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson disputed the reports a few weeks ago, saying it had seen no evidence of a shortage.

"We are not experiencing a shortage of Children's Tylenol in the United States," Johnson & Johnson told the Daily Mail last month. "There is increased consumer demand for our children's pain products in certain regions and we are taking all possible measures to ensure product availability."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also reported no shortages of Tylenol or other over-the-counter medications. Erin Fox, head of the University of Utah's Drug Information Service, told the Washington Post last week that the extent of the shortage is unclear.

"There are certainly still issues with distribution and supply chain," she told the paper, adding that "the shortage appears to be mostly a spike in demand and should be resolved relatively quickly."