Last year’s flu was brutal—killing 80,000—but vaccine did better than expected

Enlarge / Get one. (credit: Getty | Jeff Greenberg)

The 2017-2018 flu season was brutal, leading to an estimated 80,000 deaths and 900,000 hospitalizations, according to new figures released Thursday, September 27, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those are the highest estimated tolls the health agency has calculated for any flu season in more than a decade, the CDC noted in an email to Ars. In recent years, flu-related death estimates have ranged from a high of 56,000 (2012-2013) to as low as 12,000 (2011-2012).

Those figures are all based on mathematic modeling after the fact; exact numbers are not available, the agency notes. For one thing, states aren't required to report adult flu deaths to the CDC. Also, many death certificates will fail to list the flu anyway.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments