Influenza is on the rise. National and local sources are marking elevated flu activity that’s projected to increase across the country.
In Wasatch County, there have been 12 hospitalizations so far this flu season, including December and January.
Wasatch County Health Department Director Jonelle Fitzgerald said hospitalizations are the easiest way to track flu severity in the area. There were 25 flu hospitalizations for all of 2025, a dramatic increase from the previous five-year average of approximately 13 hospitalizations.
“Influenza hospitalizations this year — they are pretty high right now, but about the same level as last winter,” Fitzgerald said. “As we look at last year and this year, we are seeing more than we saw in the previous five-year average, but it’s hard to know right now whether we’ve peaked or whether it will continue to see increased case numbers.”
Fitzgerald said flu tends to affect children and individuals over the age of 65 more severely. That’s in addition to individuals with respiratory issues and other preexisting conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday said that influenza is trending high with probable increases across the country. University of Utah Health Dr. Andrew Pavia, a physician and researcher with specialties in infectious diseases and pediatric infectious diseases, said the same is true for Utah.
According to Pavia, what’s alarming is that the hospitalization rate across the state is high, at 8.42 hospitalizations per population of 100,000 people. That’s slightly above the peak of last year’s season, which was also considered to be a severe flu season in terms of influenza hospitalizations.
“I have seen some very, very severe and scary cases of influenza in children in the last couple of weeks, including a number of kids who have ended up on advanced life support,” Pavia said.
While influenza does appear to be more aggressive this season, Pavia said there is nothing that makes it a “super flu.”
“But it does mean that the vaccine is not working as well as we would like,” Pavia said, explaining that the vaccine is still the best mode of protection. “The bottom line is that the vaccine is still really important, and people who have not been vaccinated are running out of time to protect themselves.”
Pavia said that “virtually all” of the people who have been hospitalized with severe complications of influenza have not been vaccinated. Both Fitzgerald and Pavia said that getting the flu vaccine greatly reduces chances of hospitalization.
“Even when it doesn’t protect you against infection, the vaccine greatly reduces your chance of ending up in the hospital or the ICU,” Pavia said. “Remember that influenza kills.”
But Fitzgerald said there has been a trend of fewer vaccinations in Wasatch County in recent years. That, she said, is one possible reason for this year’s heightened flu season.
According to Pavia, drugs like Tamiflu will reduce the duration of the disease by about a day if they are given within the first 48 hours. He emphasized that home testing is an option. Staying home if there are signs of sickness is the best way to protect others, he said.
“Generally, you should stay home until your fever is completely resolved and your symptoms are improving,” Pavia said. “It is probably a good idea when you return to work, particularly if you’re around vulnerable people or elderly who are sick or very young, to wear a mask for another couple of days.”
Although Fitzgerald said it is difficult to know whether Wasatch County has reached peak flu season, she hopes the number of cases will decrease in the near future.
“We hope that we’re on the downhill,” Fitzgerald said. “Hopefully we’ll see improvements from here on out.”