Flu activity is continuing to climb across the U.S. as hospitalizations rise, updated data from the CDC shows.

Illinois officials announced the first influenza death in a child this season. The influenza activity in the state has moved to "very high."

Authorities at the CDC are now calling this year’s flu season “moderately severe,” with an estimated 11 million illnesses in the U.S. so far.

U.S. flu infections still are surging, and health officials say it's a severe season that's likely to get worse.

The H3N2 is a new strain of influenza A. The symptoms are described as more intense and contagious than typical seasonal flu. Recovery in most cases takes up to 15 days. Symptoms include: severe headache, fever, coughing, asthma-like breathing difficulties, appetite loss, sore throat and chest pain.

Although this year’s flu vaccine doesn’t protect as well against the dominant subclade K strain, doctors still say that getting vaccinated is worthwhile.

Health experts are categorizing the current flu season one of the most severe in years, with some 11 million Americans sickened by the viral infection. The outbreak in Pennsylvania has claimed 42 lives and is expected to get worse.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is alerting residents to take precautions as influenza activity has reached "Very High" levels in the state, the most severe category defined by the

Four children have died from the flu in Massachusetts so far this season, public health officials say. The deaths occurred in recent weeks as peak flu season gets underway, according to the Department of Public Health. The Boston Public Health Commission said Tuesday that two of the deaths were children in the city under 2 years old.

Flu cases are surging nationwide as fewer Americans are being vaccinated against the virus. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 130 million Americans have received a flu shot so far during the 2025-26 flu season — a drop from the more than 190 million doses distributed during the height of the pandemic.