The ingredients are in place for an especially deadly year for the flu, on the heels of Washington’s deadliest flu year in more than a decade last season, according to experts.
In the last flu season, 505 people died in Washington, the most in 15 years. 367 people were over the age of 65.
Four children under 17 died from the flu, part of the 280 nationwide pediatric flu deaths tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2024-25, making it the deadliest flu year for children since record keeping began in 2004.
Dr. Yuan-Po Tu, the medical director for infectious disease and outbreak response for Optum’s Washington health care system, said it was “brutal.”
“Most of [the children] also did not have underlying chronic illness. In other words, at least half of them were totally healthy, they got the flu, and they died, and they weren’t vaccinated. So that’s a really stunning number, because we’re talking about totally healthy individuals. The same thing can happen in any age population.”
This year, a subclade known as “K” part of the Influenza A strain is making up more than half the cases the CDC has tracked so far this year.
The K-subclade appeared around May as influenza took hold in the southern hemisphere. It’s rising warnings from health experts across the northern hemisphere for people to prepare now.
Justin Gill, an advanced practice nurse part of the Washington Nurses Association, says the data from around the world helps him prepare his patients.
“That gives us helpful information here at home. It allows us to prepare and educate patients about what we’re seeing come our way. That way our patients are armed with the tools that they can actually empower themselves to get the flu shot, that they do what’s best for their kids and their families,” Gill said.
Gill and Dr. Tu say vaccination is the best way to protect from influenza.
This season’s vaccine was designed for the “J-Subclade” but preliminary research from the U.K found adults older than 65 are 40% less likely to go to the hospital for the flu if they get the vaccine.
Vaccinated children between 2-17 are up to 75% less likely to be hospitalized.
“Some years it’s better, some years it’s less. But it’s just like wearing a seat belt. Even if you get the flu and you’ve had the flu vaccine, you’re less likely to end up in the hospital or with severe disease.” Dr. Tu said.
You can schedule vaccine appointments online-- many times days in advance-- on pharmacy websites, talking to your doctor, or using sites like easyvax.com.
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