The 2025-2026 flu season is still going on in the US and around the world. Health officials are keeping a close eye on how the flu virus spreads. The flu season of 2025–2026 is still going on, according to federal and international surveillance systems. In the last few weeks, the influenza A virus has been the most common strain.
2025-2026 Flu Season Continues Across the United States and Globally
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that national influenza surveillance reports show that the 2025-2026 flu season is still going on, with weekly updates reporting new hospitalizations and deaths of children from the flu. In the most recent weekly CDC report, influenza-associated pediatric deaths rose further this season, bringing the total to at least 60 reported young lives lost — a measure that underscores the continued public health burden of flu.
Influenza A Emerges as the Dominant Strain This Season
The CDC defines the seasonal influenza surveillance period as beginning each fall and extending through the spring months. It compiles data on outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI), laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, hospitalizations, and mortality to produce weekly FluView reports. These indicators assist officials in understanding the level of virus activity, as well as the severity trends of the subtypes of the virus that are being transmitted.
CDC Surveillance Shows Ongoing Hospitalizations and Pediatric Deaths
Public health officials state that although the activity levels may change from week to week, the flu is a serious respiratory illness that can lead to hospitalization or death, particularly in older adults, young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions. Immunization is the recommended preventive tool to prevent serious illness and severe outcomes.
Global Surveillance Through WHO’s FluNet System
The international surveillance system gives a bigger picture of the flu situation around the world, not just in one country. FluNet is a global virological surveillance system run by the World Health Organization. It lets people from over 130 countries share data about the influenza virus online. FluNet provides an update every week regarding the number of influenza viruses reported by subtype and geographical distribution. The data that is entered into FluNet is submitted by the national influenza centers and the reference laboratories that work with WHO through the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). This is crucial for monitoring the activity of influenza worldwide and for understanding the trends of the epidemiology of influenza, as well as the selection of the vaccine strains every year.
International Data Highlights Regional Differences in Flu Activity
Global surveillance shows influenza activity continues worldwide, with patterns varying by country and season. WHO analysis shows Northern Hemisphere countries are in peak flu season, while other regions follow different timelines.”
Why Ongoing Influenza Monitoring Remains Critical
WHO officials emphasize sustained surveillance and data sharing to track influenza changes and support global preparedness. Each week, FluNet and related tools analyze data to track transmission shifts, new subtypes, and seasonal trends critical to global response
CDC FluView reports in the U.S. highlight influenza A dominance and vaccine impact. FluView reports show that most confirmed influenza cases are caused by influenza A.
Sources:
World Health Organization — “FluNet: Global Influenza Programme”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — “Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report (FluView)”
World Health Organization — “Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS)”
Editor’s Disclaimer This article is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available data from national and international public health surveillance systems. It does not constitute medical advice. Readers are encouraged to consult healthcare professionals and official public health guidance for personal health decisions.
