Flu season is arriving early this year, and hospitals are already seeing it.
The rate of people hospitalized with flu in mid-October is the highest for this point in the season since 2010-11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly FluView surveillance report, published Friday, Oct. 23. Positive flu tests, outpatient visits, emergency room visits and hospital admissions have all been rising since late August or early September.
Overall activity is still low nationally, the CDC said. But it described early-season flu activity as “higher than typically observed at this time of year.”
How many people are being hospitalized with flu right now?
Hospitals reported 4,811 patients admitted with lab-confirmed flu during the week ending Oct. 17, through the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network. That works out to 1.4 admissions per 100,000 people. The CDC called the rate stable from the week before but “trending upward.”
A separate CDC network that tracks hospitalizations in select counties across 14 states, covering about 10% of the population, logged 798 flu hospitalizations from Oct. 4 to Oct. 17. Its weekly rate was 1.1 per 100,000 people. After adjusting for reporting delays, the CDC estimates the true rate is probably between 1.5 and 2.0, the highest for that week of the season since 2010-11.
In clinical labs, 5.7% of respiratory specimens tested positive for flu, up from the week before in most regions of the country. Two jurisdictions were at moderate activity and none were high, according to the CDC’s activity map. ABC News reported those two are Louisiana and Hawaii. No flu deaths in children have been reported so far this season.
Who is getting hit hardest?
Older adults. Adults 65 and older had a hospitalization rate of 7.4 per 100,000, more than three times the next-highest group, adults 50 to 64, at 2.3. Young children under 5 came next at 1.7.
Black Americans had the highest age-adjusted hospitalization rate, at 3.2 per 100,000, followed by Asian and Pacific Islander Americans at 2.6.
That pattern matters for nursing homes and families caring for older relatives at home. Flu is often more dangerous for seniors with heart or lung disease, diabetes or weakened immune systems, and an early season leaves less time to get protected.
Which flu strain is spreading?
Almost all of it is influenza A, and nearly all of that is the H1N1 strain. Of 241 flu A samples subtyped by public health labs in the week ending Oct. 17, 239 were H1N1 and none were H3N2.
H1N1 first emerged in the 2009 pandemic and has circulated every year since. The current viruses belong to a group the CDC calls D.3.1.1, which is splitting into branches with different genetic changes. “It is too early to know what viruses may predominate or to say whether there might be implications on flu vaccine effectiveness this season,” the agency said.
What about the new bird flu case in Washington?
The same report confirmed a human H5N1 bird flu infection in Washington state, in an adult who worked at a commercial dairy farm where the virus had been found in cows. The worker had eye irritation and upper respiratory symptoms. State officials said the case was in Yakima County. It is the first H5 case linked to a dairy worker in Washington.
The CDC said human-to-human spread of H5 bird flu has still not been seen in the United States. Its bird flu situation summary tracks confirmed human cases by state and source.
What should people do now?
The CDC recommends a flu shot for everyone 6 months and older, ideally in September or October, which means now for anyone who hasn’t had one. Prescription antiviral drugs can treat flu and work best when started early. The agency says they are especially important for people at higher risk of complications, including adults 65 and older.
Flu is circulating alongside other viruses. HNC has also been tracking the record U.S. measles outbreak, which passed 4,500 cases this year.
Key takeaways
- Flu hospitalizations in mid-October are at the highest rate for this point in the season since 2010-11, the CDC reported Oct. 23, 2026.
- Hospitals admitted 4,811 flu patients in the week ending Oct. 17, and adults 65 and older have by far the highest hospitalization rate.
- Nearly all circulating flu is H1N1. The CDC says it is too early to tell whether vaccine effectiveness will be affected.
- Washington reported its first human H5N1 bird flu case tied to a dairy worker. No person-to-person spread has been found.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026-27 flu season starting early?
Yes. The CDC says flu tests, doctor visits, ER visits and hospitalizations have been rising since late August or early September, and early-season activity is higher than usual for this time of year.
Who is most at risk of being hospitalized with flu?
Adults 65 and older have the highest hospitalization rate this season, at 7.4 per 100,000 people, followed by adults 50 to 64 and children under 5.
Is it too late to get a flu shot?
No. The CDC recommends a flu shot for everyone 6 months and older, ideally in September or October, and vaccination is still worthwhile later in the season.
Is the Washington bird flu case a risk to the public?
The CDC says no human-to-human spread of H5 bird flu has been identified in the U.S. The Washington case was a dairy worker exposed to infected cows who had eye irritation and upper respiratory symptoms.
