Flu deaths rise as disinformation takes root

Americans are facing the highest death toll from influenza since 2018, just as more people become vulnerable because of growing vaccine scepticism taking hold in statehouses and the Trump administration.

- Tim Henderson

Flu-related deaths hit a seven-year high in January and February, the two months that usually account for the height of flu season, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary federal statistics. There were about 9,800 deaths across the country, up from 5,000 in the same period last year and the most since 2018, when there were about 10,800.

Despite that, the US Department of Health and Human Services has canceled or postponed meetings to prepare for next fall's flu vaccine, when experts talk about what influenza strains they expect they'll be battling.

The cancellations raised protests from medical professionals and state and federal officials.

US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said in a statement that her state is having its worst flu season in at least 15 years, with more deaths from flu and other causes as the state's health care system struggles under the strain of flu patients.

Some experts say putting off vaccine planning will only feed false narratives that discourage lifesaving vaccinations. "These delays not only weaken pandemic preparedness but also undermine public confidence in vaccination efforts," said Dr. Akram Khan, an Oregon pulmonologist and associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University who has studied attitudes toward vaccines. US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has expressed doubt about the need for vaccines, including flu vaccines, despite evidence that they reduce deaths and hospitalisations. Deaths fluctuate naturally from year to year depending on the severity of current flu strains and the effectiveness of that year's vaccines. But some see a hesitancy to use any vaccine, fed by misinformation and political mistrust of government, already taking a toll on lives.