2025 is off to a rocky start with flu rates surging across America to the highest point they’ve been in 15 years. And while having the flu can be as easy as a few days of sniffles and aches, it can also last for weeks, cause intense fever, fatigue and make living an ordinary life virtually impossible. And yet, that’s not what concerns doctors the most. Yair Ben-Dor has more.
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00:002025 is off to a rocky start with flu rates surging across America to the
00:05highest point they've been in 15 years. And while having the flu can be as easy
00:11as a few days of sniffles and aches, it can also last for weeks, cause intense
00:16fever, fatigue, and make living an ordinary life virtually impossible. And
00:20yet that's not what concerns doctors the most. HuffPost reports we're currently in
00:27the season's second flu spike. While it's not uncommon to have a second spike in
00:32the late winter, the level at which people are getting sick isn't normal. In
00:37Massachusetts, less than 1% of hospital visits are due to COVID or RSV, while 20
00:44to 24% have to do with influenza A. According to NBC, even though a record
00:51number of kids died from the flu last year, the percentage of children getting
00:55flu shots continues to plummet. 37% just over a third of U.S. kids had gotten flu
01:02shots, which is down from 43% at the same time last year, a downward trend that is
01:09seriously worrying pediatricians. Which is why everyone should protect themselves
01:15during this spike of the flu. Experts warn that even if you'd already gotten
01:20the flu this season, you still need to be cautious since you're not necessarily
01:25immune from getting it again through another strain. Good thing doctors are
01:29plentiful and keeping an eye on us through agencies like the CDC.