Weekly Flu Report, January 17, 2020

Massachusetts Department of Public Health weekly influenza update

This week’s report

View the current weekly flu report.

Highlights

• Influenza severity for Massachusetts is moderate this week.
• The percentage of influenza-like illness visits for Massachusetts remains high and is higher than the previous two years in the same week.
• Overall influenza-like illness activity for Massachusetts is high this week. The Inner Metro Boston region is reporting moderate ILI activity while all other regions are reporting high ILI activity.
• The percent of influenza-associated hospitalizations in Massachusetts remains low and is lower than the previous two years in the same week.
• In the 2019-2020 flu season, more influenza B than influenza A positive specimens have been reported by hospitals and outpatient facilities in Massachusetts. However, in recent weeks, influenza A positive specimens have increased and account for about a third of the positive laboratory results reported so far this season.
• All influenza strains that have been characterized in Massachusetts this season to date are covered by the current influenza vaccine.
• Nationally, influenza-like illness activity remains elevated and influenza B is most common; however, during recent weeks approximately equal numbers of influenza B and influenza A have been reported.
• Additional statewide and national data including geographic spread, ILI activity, and pneumonia and influenza mortality are available at CDC’s FluView Weekly Report at https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/index.html and FluView Interactive https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/overview/fluview-interactive.html.

Flu activity remains elevated. It’s not too late to get vaccinated.

Flu vaccination is always the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications.

Date published:	January 17, 2020