The severity of
influenza varies widely from year to year. According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):1
- Influenza causes more than 220,000 hospital
visits each year in the United States.
- The number of cases of flu
is highest during the winter months.
- Children have the highest
rates of infection.
- Deaths from the flu are highest in people
older than 65 and people of any age who have serious medical conditions. More
than 90% of flu-related deaths occur in older adults.
Because the flu virus is contagious, it spreads easily among
people who live close together, such as in nursing homes and other long-term
care facilities. The numbers of people affected and the death rates can be
high.
Children younger than 5 and adults ages 65 and older are two
of the groups who are most likely to be hospitalized for flu-related
illness.
Flu and its complications caused an
average of 36,000 deaths in the U.S. between 1990 and 1999.1
Citations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2008).
Prevention and control of influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR, 57(RR-7): 1-60.
Also available online: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5707.pdf.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2008).
Prevention and control of influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR, 57(RR-7): 1-60.
Also available online: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5707.pdf.
