The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 6 months and older receive an annual influenza (flu) vaccine.
Yet, during the 2022-2023 flu season, only 49% of the eligible US population received a flu vaccine. Compared to flu seasons prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been continued declines in flu vaccination coverage, especially in certain groups of people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications, including pregnant women and young children.
CDC estimates that during the 2022-2023 flu season, at least 31 million people got sick with flu, 14 million people visited a healthcare professional, 360,000 people were hospitalized, and 21,000 people died due to flu illness or related complications, including 176 children—most of whom were not vaccinated.
Learn more about flu and the importance of annual flu vaccination
Reviewed September 2023
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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