Flu Season Is Here—and It’s Hitting Harder Than Many Realize

By Bihu Sandhir, MD, CPE

Chief Medical Officer

Blanchard Valley Health System

 

As we move deeper into the 2025–2026 influenza season, one thing is clear: this is not a typical flu year.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the current flu season as moderately severe—a designation that carries real consequences for families, workplaces, and healthcare systems alike. Preliminary estimates indicate approximately 11 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 flu-related deaths so far this season. These numbers represent a significant increase compared to this time last year, and flu activity continues to rise across much of the country.

Much of this season’s impact is being driven by a dominant strain of Influenza A (H3N2), often referred to in public health circles as a particularly aggressive variant. While headlines may label it a “super flu,” the more important message is that influenza remains a serious and potentially life-threatening illness, especially for older adults, young children, pregnant individuals, and those with underlying chronic health conditions.

This concern is not hypothetical. The 2024–2025 flu season was the most severe we had seen in more than a decade. Early trends now suggest that this year’s season may match—or even exceed—that level of severity.

Closer to home, Ohio is currently experiencing some of the highest flu activity in the nation. State surveillance data indicate “very high” levels of influenza and respiratory illness, with emergency department visits for respiratory symptoms significantly exceeding the five-year average. Locally, the impact is being felt across clinics, urgent care centers, and hospitals.

At Blanchard Valley Health System, we work closely with Hancock Public Health and other regional health departments to monitor influenza activity through multiple data sources, including laboratory testing, hospitalizations, statewide and national surveillance, and even wastewater monitoring. What we are seeing locally mirrors what is happening across Ohio and the country.

To put this into perspective, through January 3, 2026, Blanchard Valley Health System has recorded 142 influenza-related emergency department visits—more than three times the number seen at this point last year. Influenza-related hospital admissions have also increased, rising to 24 compared to 17 during the same period the previous season. Outpatient practices, including primary care and urgent care, are reporting higher-than-average numbers of patients with influenza and flu-like illnesses.

While these statistics may sound alarming, they are also a reminder that we have effective tools to reduce risk and protect our community.

Annual flu vaccination remains the single most effective way to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and complications from influenza. Even when vaccination does not completely prevent infection, it significantly reduces the severity of illness and the likelihood of serious outcomes. Basic preventive measures—such as frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, wearing a mask when appropriate, and staying home when sick—continue to play a critical role in slowing the spread.

Within healthcare settings, additional precautions are necessary to protect both patients and staff. These include offering flu vaccination to healthcare workers, testing associates who become ill while at work, implementing masking during periods of high transmission, and using isolation precautions for patients with influenza or other respiratory illnesses.

Influenza is often underestimated because it returns every year. But seasons like this one remind us that the flu is not just a bad cold—it is a serious public health issue that requires vigilance, preparation, and community cooperation.

As a physician and a member of this community, I encourage everyone to take this flu season seriously. Talk with your healthcare provider about vaccination, pay attention to symptoms, and take simple steps to protect yourself and those around you. Together, we can reduce the impact of this challenging flu season and keep our community healthier through the winter months.