US Flu Hospitalizations Hit 3.5 per 1,000, Nearly 3x Prior Highs
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United States – October 29, 2026 -- Influenza-associated hospitalizations reached 3.5 per 1,000 hospitalizations in the week beginning September 21, 2026, nearly three times the next-highest rate recorded at the same point in the prior six flu seasons, according to a Truveta Data analysis.
Hospitalization rate climbs more than 2.5 times faster than in any prior season
From the week beginning August 31 through the week beginning September 21, the rate rose by an average of 0.7 hospitalizations per 1,000 each week. The next-fastest increase over the comparable period was 0.3 per 1,000 per week, in 2022–23.
Across the six prior seasons, the median weekly change at this point was −0.03 per 1,000. Hospitalization rates were generally stable or declining at this stage of past seasons.