Flu Activity is Highest It’s Been in Over 25 Years
Flu Vaccine Offers Valuable Protection Against Severe Illness

Flu activity in the U.S. has reached the highest levels in over 25 years, according to the CDC, after a surge in cases at the end of December. For the week ending January 3, 2026, Georgia is one of 14 states with the very highest levels of flu-related illness.

The state Department of Public Health has confirmed 46 deaths in Georgia so far this season from flu-associated illness (from early October 2025 to January 3) compared with zero deaths in the same time frame during the 2024-25 flu season.

In metro Atlanta, hospitals reported 2,126 flu-related hospitalizations from October 2025 to January 3, 2026. That compares to 1,089 in that same time frame during the 2024-25 flu season.

Nationwide, the CDC estimates 15 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 7,400 deaths from flu this season. Older adults (ages 65+) and children under 4 have been the hardest hit, but even healthy young adults have been severely ill from the virus.

Why the Vaccine Isn’t a Perfect Match

This year’s vaccine protects against three flu strains: two influenza A subtypes and one influenza B subtype. However, one of the influenza A strains (H3N2) began circulating in the southern hemisphere last spring, mutating seven times before scientists identified it in June—after they’d already formulated this season’s vaccine for 154 million U.S. doses. This variant is known as which is currently accounting for over 90 percent of flu cases, according to CDC data.

Why Getting the Flu Shot is Still Crucial This Season

In any given year, the flu vaccine doesn’t provide 100 percent protection from getting sick, but getting the flu shot can mean the difference from having a mild form of the illness—or a more severe one that can land you in the hospital.

Though this year’s vaccine formula is considered a higher “mismatch” than usual, it provides what is known as “cross-protection.” This means that antibodies your immune system creates when you get the flu shot will likely recognize and respond to a similar virus—and also protect you against two other flu strains.

This is why health officials strongly urge everyone eligible to get the flu vaccine now if you haven’t already for this flu season, especially because of the very high numbers of hospitalizations and deaths from the flu that already have been reported this season.

Life-threatening complications from the flu include pneumonia and sepsis. It can trigger other serious complications, such as inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), brain (encephalitis), or muscles (myositis), and organ failure.

Studies in past seasons with vaccine mismatches suggest people who received a flu shot were often less likely to become sick enough to require hospital care compared with those who were not vaccinated. And, studies like this one published in the journal, “Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID),” in the National Library of Medicine, found hospitalized flu patients had better health outcomes if they had been vaccinated.

Comparing hospitalized flu patients, the CID study found the benefits of vaccination were greatest among adults 65 and older. Researchers found vaccinated adults were 52-79% less likely to die than unvaccinated flu-hospitalized patients. In other words, an unvaccinated hospitalized flu patient was 2 to 5 times more likely to die than someone who had been vaccinated.

Who Should Get a Flu Vaccine

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season with rare exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of serious flu complications.

People with a higher risk of catching the flu and of having complications from it include young children, adults 65 and older, pregnant women, and those with certain chronic health conditions or other risk factors.

Consult with a healthcare professional (such as a licensed medical doctor, nurse, or other practitioner) if you have questions about the flu shot. The flu vaccine is available at District 4’s county health departments, doctors’ offices, and local pharmacies. Schedule a health department vaccine appointment online or call (800) 847-4262.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Natalie Shelton
natalie.shelton@dph.ga.gov