YORK, Pa. — Peak flu season is weeks away, but the number of cases is already trending higher in the United States than in a typical January or February.
"This flu season is hitting much harder and much earlier than we typically see," said Dr. John Goldman an infectious disease expert at UPMC.
Goldman said the level of flu is higher than all but one of the peaks seen in the last six seasons. It's sending more people to the hospital, as the CDC's rate of hospitalizations is 10 to 20 times higher than in an average year.
Dr. Goldman said the reason is threefold.
First, the H3N2 flu strain, which makes up about 80% of current cases, is a more aggressive strain that causes more severe disease.
Social distancing and other preventative measures, used as protection during the pandemic, also lead to less immunity.
Finally, Dr. Goldman said fewer people are getting the flu shot.
"Covid vaccine hesitation has spilled over into something like the flu shot, which has been around for years, and has an established safety record," Goldman said. "It is a very safe vaccine."
Dr. Goldman said flu vaccination rates are down by 50% this year. This, as the CDC reports 300,000 COVID-19 cases nationally and a continued spike in RSV.
"What we worry about is seeing a bad flu season, continued Covid, and more RSV than usual," Goldman said. "We're worried that our hospitals are going to be very busy."
Hospitals are bringing on extra staff to help deal with the influx of patients, but doctors said there's another solution to the growing problem.
"We are also encouraging people to get their COVID booster shots, to get their flu shots and do the things that they should do to try to keep themselves from getting COVID, keep themselves from getting the flu and keep themselves from ending up in our hospitals," Goldman said.
For patients with health conditions that could leave them vulnerable to severe flu, Dr. Goldman said the flu shot reduces the risk of death by 50%.
He said the flu vaccine is about 50% effective at preventing the flu, but even if you get it, the vaccine will protect you from more serious illnesses and could keep you out of the hospital this holiday season.