Americans are in the face of the highest number of fatalities from flu since 2018, just like more and more people are becoming exposed because of the growing skepticism of the Trump’s state vaccine and the administration of Trump.
Flu deaths have reached seven years maximum in January and February, two months, which usually constitute the height of the flu season, in accordance with the statutory analysis of the initial federal statistics. There were about 9,800 deaths throughout the country, compared to 5000 in the same period last year and most from 2018, when it was around 10,800.
Despite this, the US Department of Health and Social Welfare has canceled or postponed meetings to prepare for a flu vaccine next autumn, when experts talk about what flu strains expect they will fight.
The cancellation was raised by protests from doctors and state and federal officials. US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat, he said in a statement That her condition has the worst flu season for at least 15 years, with more deaths due to flu and other causes when the state health care system fights under the tension of patients with flu.
Some experts say that putting off planning vaccines will only feed false narratives that discourages life -saving vaccinations.
“These delays not only weaken pandemic readiness, but also undermine public trust in vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Akrak Khan, Oregon pulmonologist and associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University, who studied attitudes towards vaccines.
Secretary of Health and Social Services Robert Kennedy Jr. He expressed doubts About the need for vaccines, including flu vaccines, despite the evidence that they reduce deaths and hospitalizations.
Deaths decrease naturally from year to year, depending on the severity of the current strains of the flu and the effectiveness of this year of vaccines. But some see hesitation before using any vaccine, fed by disinformation and political distrust of government, already bounced on life.
“It was a bad winter for viral respiratory infections, not only in the United States, but in the northern hemisphere,” said Mark Doherty, scholar vaccines and former manager Glaxosmithkline Biologicals, a vaccine producer.
“It seems that the USA is a bit stronger, and it is possible that this contributes to lower vaccination,” said Doherty.
The distribution of influenza vaccines in the United States has dropped in recent years, and in the first week of 2025. According to 2022, it fell by 16% compared to 2022 Federal statistics.
According to the analysis, in January and February, in January and February, Flu Flu was a factor in 9,800 deaths, using transient data collected by you and developed by federal control centers and disease prevention.
The highest death rates were in Oklahomie, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Southern Dakota and Kentucky, all this year after about four deaths per 100,000 population. Some of the counties in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as Oklahoma and Kentucky, were even higher – with about six deaths per 100,000.
The highest rates were among the elderly. Statistics show that death hit white people and native Americans, especially strongly.
However, tragedies take place throughout the country with people of all ages and breeds. 43-year-old Father Indiana According to family members, he died after a low influenza attack. After two 10-year-olds died in Prince George’s, Maryland, District Schools He drew crowds to the clinic vaccine.
Doug Sides, a pastor in the Baptist church in Julee, northern Florida, organized funerals for three members of the congregation who died of flu – everything in one month, all over 70 years. He said that compared to only one Covid-19 victim from his congregation during a pandemic.
“Death of influenza is a reality,” said Sides Stateline about a phone call from the hospital in Jacksonville, where he visited another 84-year-old member of the congregation who was saved from home with severe pneumonia for an unknown reason.
“I encourage members of my church to keep my hands clean, use a manual disinfectant and stay at home if you feel sick,” he said. He said that he personally did not receive a flu vaccine, because he receives contradictory advice on this subject – some doctors tell him to avoid them, because he and some family members have cancer, while another “drives me all the time to get a chance to get flu.”
“We all receive conflicting advice. We live in strange times,” he said. ( American Cancer Society He says vaccination for people with cancer, it can be recommended, but it does not have to be recommended depending on individual circumstances.)
There are many states Relaxation of vaccine requirements With the boost in public skepticism. But many take action to warn the inhabitants and reassure them that vaccinations are unthreatening and can facilitate prevent death, despite the opposing disinformation.
According to the analysis, in Burlington, New Jersey, he had the highest mortality rate in any county, of 31 deaths among less than 500,000 people. The county was held by 30 free vaccine clinics from September to January, and then extended them to February due to the heaviness of the flu season, said Dave Levinsky, spokesman for the health of Health.
In Oklahomie, the death rates are The highest in the eastern part of the state where the cherokee nation focuses. AND State advertising campaign He emphasizes that flu shots are unthreatening, effective and free in many health communities. However, vaccination indicators in this state are low compared to other states in December, in accordance with federal statistics: only about 16% of Oklahoma residents received flu vaccination by then. The rates were even lower in Louisiana (almost 16%), Mississippi (12%) and Texas (10%).
Maine (37%), Connecticut and Vermont (33%) as well as Wisconsin and Minnesota (31%) were the states with the highest vaccination indexes until December. But even these were down since 2022.
In recent years, people have been less likely to vaccinate, researchers of phenomena call “vaccine hesitation”.
AND report Published last year in The Medical Journal, Cureus found three quarters of patients in the village community of New York, they refused flu vaccines with comments such as “I don’t trust vaccines” or “I don’t believe in vaccines.” The most common reasons were that earlier vaccinations made them feel unwell, that they got flu or that they did not need a up-to-date shot each year. (Doctors recommend flu vaccination every year and notice that even vaccinated patients who get flu, usually encounter less severe forms).
And in paper Published in February in the Vaccine journal, scientists have found that people refuse to vaccinate against flu for many the same reasons why they refused to shot Covid-19: the feeling of “social susceptibility”, which leads to distrust of the government and medical guidelines. The report noticed that one of the hopeful signs is that the recommendations of vaccine trusted healthcare professionals can reverse such attitudes.
“Unfortunately, the hesitation of the vaccine is deeply involved in disinformation, political rhetoric and public distrust,” said Khan, pulmonologist Oregon and the author of the study. “The scientific data themselves may not be enough to change public perception, because many vaccine decisions result from intestinal feelings and external influences, not evidence.”
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