Wisconsin is seeing among its worst flu seasons of the past decade. Here's why

Yahoo

19-02-2025

Wisconsin is continuing to see one of its worst flu season of the last decade, with a second pediatric death from influenza reported earlier this month.
As of Feb. 8, every region of the state was experiencing "very high" levels of influenza activity, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. So far this flu season, nearly 3,800 people in Wisconsin have been hospitalized from the flu, compared to just over 2,100 during the same period last year, according to a DHS report released Friday. In the last week alone, the state logged a record 895 flu hospitalizations, a DHS spokesperson told the Journal Sentinel.
Wisconsin's particularly acute flu season follows a nationwide trend, as flu cases in the U.S. hit a 15-year high last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced. Lagging vaccination rates, more severe strains of the virus and holiday travel are all to blame for the record spread, experts say.
"We're right in the midst of it. There's no glimmer at this point whatsoever that it's starting to go down," said Dr. James Conway, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Global Health Institute.
Here's what to know about influenza in Wisconsin, including how and where you can get vaccinated.
Though experts say it's hard to pin down a precise reason why this flu season has been particularly bad, there are a few contributing factors: less people are getting flu shots, an especially severe strain of the flu is circulating this year, and people who didn't get the flu during the COVID-19 pandemic are getting it now.
The past month has been especially severe for flu spread in Wisconsin and nationwide. Between Feb. 3 to 9, the UW Health system saw 55 flu hospitalizations — its highest weekly total in three years, a UW Health spokesperson told the Journal Sentinel.
"That combination of low vaccination rates, low amount of carryover immunity from previous seasons, and then record holiday travel was sort of the perfect storm," Conway said.
Nationwide, the H1N1 and H3N2 strains of Influenza A were the dominant viruses reported last week, according to the CDC. Both viruses have caused more severe flu seasons in the past, with H1N1 leading to a flu pandemic in 2009.
In terms of vaccination, just 33% of Wisconsin residents have received a flu shot so far this season, according to DHS data. Among children under 4 years old, a little over 32% have received a flu vaccine, compared to nearly 50% in the 2020-21 flu season, the data show.
With a late start to the flu season this year, Conway said there's still "plenty to be gained" for people who get vaccinated in coming weeks. This year's version of the flu vaccine is well-suited to fight off H1N1 influenza and Influenza B, the latter of which will likely circulate from late March to April, he said.
More children in Wisconsin are needing hospitalization from the flu this year, though not many of these cases have led to serious complications, according to Dr. Michael Meyer, medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Children's Wisconsin.
"There are more children in the hospital who are here with influenza that need additional medical help than what you find just out in the community," Meyer said. "But when it comes to actual severe disease, where they would need to be in the intensive care unit, that number is about normal for us."
In the week ending on Feb. 8, more than 17% of children under 4 years old who visited emergency departments in Wisconsin were diagnosed with the flu, up from 1% in early December, according to statewide data published by DHS. At Children's Wisconsin, about 25 kids were hospitalized with influenza last week, compared to 13 at the same time last year, a hospital spokesperson told the Journal Sentinel.
In mid-January, the state reported a child had died from the flu for the first time this flu season, followed by a second pediatric death during the week ending in Feb. 1.
While the first child who died in Wisconsin had underlying medical issues that could have contributed to flu complications, the second did not, DHS Respiratory Disease Epidemiologist Tom Haupt told the Journal Sentinel in an email. Several pediatric patients in Wisconsin have also developed Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy, a rare complication of influenza that can cause severe brain inflammation, he said.
With winter being a peak illness time for children, Meyer said he recommends families keep up strong hygiene practices, especially regular handwashing, and get vaccinated.
"If I had a crystal ball, I'd anticipate that we probably will still see a high amount of infections for the next couple of weeks, and then it'll start to tail off from there," he added.
Milwaukee, like the rest of the state, is seeing high influenza activity and a jump in hospitalizations from the flu.
So far this flu season, Milwaukee has logged 428 hospitalizations associated with the flu, compared to 320 at the same time last year, according to Lindsey Page, infectious disease program director at the Milwaukee Health Department.
"We're seeing hospitalizations across all age groups," Page said.
The flu vaccination rate in Milwaukee also falls below the state level, with only about 20% of the city's residents receiving at least one flu shot this year. That's down from 24% and 22% during the past two flu seasons in Milwaukee.
"It's certainly not too late to get the flu vaccine," Page added. "There's a potential for this to continue for at least another month or two."
More: Flu cases are high in Wisconsin. What's the difference between flu A and flu B?
You can get flu shots through your health care provider or at a local pharmacy. Flu vaccines are free through almost every health insurance plan, and vaccines.gov locates pharmacies near you that are offering vaccines. Wisconsin residents can also dial 211 or 877-947-2211 for help scheduling a vaccine appointment.
For uninsured children and adults, Wisconsin's Vaccines for Adults and Vaccines for Children programs offer free flu and COVID-19 shots statewide. You can use the DHS's online locator to find a free adult vaccination clinic near you or a free child vaccination clinic.
The Milwaukee Health Department also has three, walk-in immunization clinics across the city, where anyone older than 6 months, regardless of insurance status, can get free flu vaccines. Find clinic locations and hours here.
To protect against respiratory viruses, DHS recommends:
Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Avoiding touching the nose, eyes and mouth.
Staying home and away from others when feeling sick.
Avoiding being around others who are sick.
Covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and encouraging children to do the same.
Wearing a high-quality mask around others.
Sarah Volpenhein contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why is the flu so bad in Wisconsin this year?