Respiratory illnesses in the US sent an estimated 1.2 million to 1.5 million people to the hospital during the 2024–25 season, based on CDC estimates for flu (710,000), COVID-19 (290,000–450,000), and RSV (190,000–350,000) added together. The 2025–26 flu season was moderate overall but killed 174 children by late May 2026, and COVID-19 activity was rising again in 27 states in mid-September 2026.
Respiratory Illnesses in America 2026
Respiratory illnesses in the US follow a seasonal pattern that repeats each year, and the 2026 numbers show how heavy that pattern still is. Flu, COVID-19, and RSV together caused more than a million hospital stays in the 2024–25 season. Older adults and infants carried most of the severe cases. Adults aged 75 and older had a COVID-19 hospitalization rate of 932.6 per 100,000 people. Infants under 12 months had an RSV hospitalization rate of 1,116.7 per 100,000. Those are the highest rates for each virus.
The 2025–26 season added its own records. A new flu variant, H3N2 subclade K, made up about 93% of characterized H3N2 viruses and drove a season that CDC rated moderate overall but high for children. Flu killed 174 children between October 2025 and May 2026, and about 85% of them were not fully vaccinated. This article covers the confirmed respiratory illnesses in the US statistics for 2026: hospitalizations, deaths, age patterns, vaccination coverage, and the fall outlook.
Interesting Facts about Respiratory Illnesses in US 2026
| Interesting Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Flu hospitalizations, 2024–25 | 710,000 (CDC estimate) |
| Flu deaths, 2024–25 | 45,000 |
| COVID-19 deaths, Jul 2024–Jun 2025 | 34,981 recorded on death certificates; 34,000–53,000 estimated |
| RSV hospitalizations, 2024–25 | 190,000–350,000 |
| Pediatric flu deaths, 2025–26 | 174 reported to CDC |
| Dominant 2025–26 flu strain | H3N2 subclade K (93.0% of characterized H3N2) |
| Highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate | 932.6 per 100,000, adults 75+ |
| Highest RSV hospitalization rate | 1,116.7 per 100,000, infants 0–11 months |
| States with growing COVID-19 infections | 27 (mid-September 2026) |
The table shows how unevenly the burden falls. Flu caused the most hospital stays and the most deaths of the three viruses in 2024–25. COVID-19 came second on hospital stays but had a death toll in the tens of thousands. RSV had the smallest death count, yet it sends more infants to the hospital than any other virus. Each virus has its own peak months, its own high-risk groups, and its own prevention tools.
The 2026 story is also about direction. COVID-19 deaths keep falling, and 34,981 recorded deaths in the 2024–25 reporting year is far below the pandemic years. Flu is the opposite: the 2025–26 season had the third-highest cumulative hospitalization rate since the 2010–11 season. The gap between those two trends explains why CDC and hospital systems now plan for flu first.
Respiratory Illnesses in the US 2026 COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths
CDC’s February 2026 report on respiratory virus activity gives the most complete national count for COVID-19. It covers July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, which is the last full season with final data.
COVID-19 Test Positivity, 2024–25
Peak (week ending Aug 10, 2024) ██████████████████ 17.9%
Second peak (Jan 4, 2025) ███████░░░░░░░░░░░ 6.7%
Season average ███████░░░░░░░░░░░ 6.6%
Low point (Nov 16, 2024) ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 4.0%
| COVID-19 Metric, 2024–25 | Figure |
|---|---|
| PCR tests reported | 3,961,594 |
| Positive tests | 260,883 (6.6%) |
| Estimated illnesses | 10.4–16.7 million |
| Estimated hospitalizations | 290,000–450,000 |
| Estimated deaths | 34,000–53,000 |
| Death certificate deaths (NVSS) | 34,981 |
| Deaths in adults 65+ | 30,923 (88.4%) |
| Deaths in children under 18 | 187 (0.5%) |
| Circulating lineages | All JN.1 descendants |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, February 19, 2026.
The summer wave was the larger one. Test positivity peaked at 17.9% in early August 2024 and reached a second, smaller peak of 6.7% in early January 2025. That two-peak shape has held every year since 2023 and differs from flu and RSV, which peak once in winter. CDC noted this was the first season without a full replacement of the circulating strain since the pandemic began. Every sequenced virus descended from JN.1.
Death certificates undercount the true toll, and CDC says so. The 34,981 figure counts only deaths where COVID-19 appears on the certificate. The modeled range of 34,000–53,000 covers deaths that were never tested or were coded to complications such as heart attack or pneumonia. Adults aged 65 and older made up 88.4% of recorded deaths. Only 187 children died, but CDC will begin standardized national reporting of pediatric COVID-19 and RSV deaths in 2026 because death certificates give so little detail.
Respiratory Illnesses in the US – Flu Season Statistics
Flu remains the largest single cause of respiratory hospital stays. CDC has two seasons to compare: the completed 2024–25 season and the 2025–26 season, which ended in late spring.
Flu Burden, 2024–25 vs 2025–26 (preliminary, mid-April 2026)
2024–25 2025–26
Illnesses ████████ 51M █████ 31M
Hospitalizations ████████ 710K ████░ 380K
Deaths ████████ 45K ████░ 23K
| Flu Metric | 2024–25 Season | 2025–26 Season |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated illnesses | 51 million | 31 million (as of mid-April 2026) |
| Medical visits | 23 million | Not yet published |
| Estimated hospitalizations | 710,000 | 380,000 (as of mid-April 2026) |
| Estimated deaths | 45,000 | 23,000 (as of mid-April 2026) |
| Lab-confirmed hospitalizations (FluSurv-NET) | Not listed | 30,377 through May 23, 2026 |
| Pediatric deaths reported | 297 | 174 |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FluView and Flu Burden estimates; CIDRAP reporting on CDC data.
The 2025–26 columns are preliminary. CDC stopped posting in-season estimates for the spring and summer, and the sources reviewed for this article did not include an end-of-season burden estimate. Expect the final numbers to rise, because the mid-April totals came before the season closed. What the reporting does show is a variant shift. H3N2 subclade K arrived after vaccine strains were chosen, and it made up 93.0% of the 2,377 H3N2 viruses CDC characterized between September 28, 2025 and April 25, 2026. Influenza B took over in the spring.
The season hit children hard even though the adult picture stayed moderate. CDC recorded the highest peak weekly hospitalization rate in children since 2010–11 and rated severity high for ages 0–17 in January 2026. Roughly 85% of children who died and had known vaccination status were not fully vaccinated. In 2024–25, adults 65 and older accounted for 57% of flu hospitalizations and 71% of flu deaths, so the burden shifts toward older adults in most seasons and toward children in a subclade K year.
Respiratory Illnesses in the US 2026 – RSV Statistics
RSV has changed the most since 2023. Two infant products and two adult vaccines now exist, and the 2024–25 data show early results.
RSV Hospitalization Rate per 100,000, 2024–25
Infants 0–11 months ███████████████████████ 1,116.7
Children 12–23 months ████████████████░░░░░░░ 770.6
Adults 75+ █████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 426.9
| RSV Metric, 2024–25 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Specimens tested | 3,767,034 |
| Positive results | 178,911 (4.8%) |
| Peak test positivity | 11.0%, week ending Dec 21, 2024 |
| National epidemic onset | Week ending Nov 9, 2024 |
| National epidemic offset | Week ending Mar 29, 2025 |
| Estimated hospitalizations | 190,000–350,000 |
| Estimated deaths | 10,000–23,000 |
| Death certificate deaths (NVSS) | 672 |
| Circulating subtype | 64.8% RSV-A, 32.4% RSV-B |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, February 19, 2026.
RSV follows a clean winter pattern. The season ran about 20 weeks, from early November to late March, and positivity topped out at 11.0% in the week before Christmas. Infants under one year had the highest hospitalization rate by a wide margin. Adults 75 and older came third at 426.9 per 100,000, and adults 65 and older accounted for 552 of the 672 recorded RSV deaths, or 82.1%. Thirty-one children died.
Prevention is working. RSV hospitalization rates for infants aged 0–7 months were 28% to 43% lower in 2024–25 than in the 2018–20 seasons, depending on the surveillance network. About 71.7% of infants were covered by either the maternal vaccine (31.9%) or nirsevimab (42.5%). CDC modeling suggests 48% of RSV hospitalizations in infants under two could be prevented at the same uptake. For adults over 50 the modeled figure is 17%, and for adults 75 and older it is 23%.
Respiratory Illnesses in the US 2026 – Hospitalization Rates by Age
Age is the strongest predictor of severe outcomes for every respiratory virus. The 2024–25 rates show the same U-shape: infants and the oldest adults face the highest risk.
COVID-19 Hospitalization Rate per 100,000, 2024–25
Adults 75+ ███████████████████████ 932.6
Infants <6 mo ███████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 285.6
Adults 65–74 ███████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 274.4
Adults 50–64 ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 104.7
Ages 6–23 mo ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 104.1
| Age Group | COVID-19 Rate (per 100,000) | RSV Rate (per 100,000) |
|---|---|---|
| Infants under 6 months | 285.6 | Included in 0–11 months |
| Infants 0–11 months | Not listed | 1,116.7 |
| Ages 6–23 months | 104.1 | 770.6 (ages 12–23 months) |
| Adults 50–64 | 104.7 | Not listed |
| Adults 65–74 | 274.4 | Not listed |
| Adults 75 and older | 932.6 | 426.9 |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-NET and RSV-NET, as published in MMWR, February 19, 2026.
The oldest adults carry a COVID-19 hospitalization rate more than three times higher than adults aged 65–74. That gap matters for vaccine policy, because the 2026–27 COVID-19 vaccine approval targets adults 65 and older and younger people with a risk condition. The second-highest COVID-19 rate belongs to infants under six months, who cannot get the vaccine. Maternal vaccination during pregnancy is the only option that protects them. For the mortality side of these numbers, see Death from COVID, which tracks COVID-19 deaths by year.
RSV runs younger. The 1,116.7 rate for infants under one is the highest of any age group for any of the three viruses in this article. The rate for toddlers aged 12–23 months (770.6) also exceeds the rate for adults 75 and older (426.9). Public health teams treat RSV as a pediatric priority in fall and early winter for that reason, and they treat COVID-19 as an older-adult priority year-round.
Respiratory Illnesses in the US 2026 – Deaths and Pneumonia Complications
Deaths from respiratory viruses come mostly through secondary problems. Pneumonia, respiratory failure, and heart attacks follow infection in older adults. The mortality picture differs sharply by virus.
Estimated Deaths, 2024–25 Season (CDC midpoint-range view)
Flu ████████████████████ 45,000
COVID-19 ███████████████████░ 34,000–53,000
RSV ██████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 10,000–23,000
| Death Metric, 2024–25 | Flu | COVID-19 | RSV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated deaths | 45,000 | 34,000–53,000 | 10,000–23,000 |
| Death certificate count | Not applicable | 34,981 | 672 |
| Share of deaths in adults 65+ | 71% | 88.4% | 82.1% |
| Deaths in children under 18 | 297 reported | 187 | 31 |
| Combined estimated deaths (computed) | 89,000–121,000 across the three viruses |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu burden summary and MMWR, February 19, 2026. Combined total computed by adding the CDC ranges; the surveillance windows differ by a few weeks.
Older adults account for the large majority of deaths from all three viruses: 71% for flu, 88.4% for COVID-19, and 82.1% for RSV. Children rarely die from these viruses, but flu is the exception. The 297 reported pediatric flu deaths in 2024–25 dwarf the 187 COVID-19 deaths and 31 RSV deaths in the same age group. CDC’s model puts the true flu figure higher than the reported count, at an estimated 790 flu-related pediatric deaths in 2024–25.
The combined range of 89,000 to 121,000 estimated deaths is the sum of three separate CDC estimates, so read it as an order of magnitude and not as an official statistic. It still shows the scale: respiratory viruses account for close to a hundred thousand deaths in a bad season. Pneumonia is the complication behind many of these deaths. The Pneumonia Statistics in the U.S. report covers pneumonia mortality, emergency visits, and the 2024 Mycoplasma surge in children.
Respiratory Illnesses in the US 2026 – Vaccination Coverage
Vaccines cut hospital stays for all three viruses, but coverage differs by virus and age. Uptake is highest for flu and lowest for COVID-19 in adults under 65.
Vaccine Coverage Snapshot
Flu, adults 65+ (2024–25) ██████████████████████ 71%
Flu, adults 18–49 (2024–25) ███████████░░░░░░░░░░░ 35%
RSV, adults 75+ (end 2024–25) ███████████████░░░░░░░ 47.5%
COVID-19, adults 18+ (2025–26)█████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 17.5%
| Vaccine Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Flu vaccine coverage, adults 65+ (2024–25) | 71% |
| Flu vaccine coverage, adults 18–49 (2024–25) | 35% |
| Flu doses distributed, 2025–26 | More than 127 million (as of Dec 2025) |
| Flu hospitalizations prevented by vaccine, 2024–25 | 170,000–360,000 |
| RSV vaccine coverage, adults 75+ | 28.8% rising to 47.5% over 2024–25 |
| Infants protected against RSV, 2024–25 | 71.7% |
| COVID-19 vaccine coverage, adults 18+ (2025–26) | 17.5% as of Feb 22, 2026 |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu, RSV, and COVID-19 surveillance summaries; CDC Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics season outlook.
Flu vaccination prevented an estimated 170,000 to 360,000 hospitalizations in 2024–25, and it did so with coverage of only 35% among adults 18–49. Adults 65 and older reached 71%. Coverage among working-age adults trails older adults by about 36 points, and that gap is where most of the remaining upside sits. RSV adult coverage climbed the fastest, from 28.8% to 47.5% among adults 75 and older during a single season, since the vaccine only became available in 2023.
COVID-19 coverage is the weak spot. Only 17.5% of adults had received a 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccine by late February 2026. Regional gaps are wide: Texas reported that fewer than 12% of adults were up to date, against almost 18% nationally. FDA approved 2026–27 vaccines targeting the XFG variant in late August, limited to adults 65 and older and younger people with at least one risk condition. To see how uptake has changed year by year, see COVID Vaccine Statistics in the US.
Respiratory Illnesses in the US 2026 – Fall Outlook
The fall 2026 season starts with COVID-19 already rising. Flu and RSV are quiet, as expected before October, but the COVID-19 summer wave is still moving through the country.
COVID-19 Indicators, mid-September 2026
States with growing infections (Sep 16) ███████████████████ 27
States with growing infections (Sep 9) ████████████████████████ 35
States at moderate-or-higher wastewater ████████████ 12
National wastewater level LOW
| Indicator (mid-September 2026) | Status |
|---|---|
| States with growing or likely growing COVID-19 | 27, down from 35 a week earlier |
| States with moderate, high, or very high wastewater activity | 12 (week ending Sep 12) |
| National wastewater level | Low |
| Only state with very high wastewater | Texas |
| COVID-19 test positivity | About 5%, against about 11% a year earlier |
| Hospitalizations | Low overall, per CDC |
| Flu and RSV activity | Low |
| Next flu season begins | Week 40 (October 4–10, 2026) |
| CDC wastewater data gap | About 200 sites, during a contract transition |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention respiratory illness data channel and wastewater surveillance, September 2026; reporting by TODAY and Medical Daily on CDC data.
The numbers point in two directions at once. CDC’s September 18 update described COVID-19 activity as elevated and increasing nationally, yet hospitalizations stayed low and national wastewater levels were low. Both statements hold because the indicators measure different things. Infection estimates capture spread, wastewater captures viral load, and hospitalizations lag both. The drop from 35 to 27 states with growth suggests the wave is near its peak. Experts quoted by national media expected transmission to crest in early September.
One watch item stands out for the next few months. Wastewater monitoring has a gap of about 200 sites while CDC awards a new testing contract, which will limit local visibility just as flu season starts. Flu reporting returns to full weekly detail in the first week of October. Clinicians can already offer flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines together, and CDC expects RSV peak hospitalization rates this winter to land within 20% of last season’s.
Frequently Asked Questions About Respiratory Illnesses in the US 2026
What are the most common respiratory illnesses in the US in 2026?
Flu, COVID-19, and RSV cause the most severe seasonal respiratory illness. In 2024–25 they produced an estimated 1.2 million to 1.5 million hospitalizations combined, according to CDC estimates.
How many people died from flu in the US last season?
CDC estimated 45,000 flu deaths in 2024–25. For 2025–26, a preliminary in-season estimate reached 23,000 deaths by mid-April 2026, and CDC had not published an end-of-season figure in the sources reviewed.
How many children died from flu in 2025–26?
CDC reported 174 influenza-associated pediatric deaths for the 2025–26 season as of May 23, 2026. About 85% of them occurred in children who were not fully vaccinated.
How many Americans die from COVID-19 each year now?
CDC recorded 34,981 COVID-19 deaths on death certificates between July 2024 and June 2025, and modeled a range of 34,000–53,000. Adults aged 65 and older made up 88.4% of recorded deaths.
Who is most at risk from RSV?
Infants under 12 months have the highest RSV hospitalization rate at 1,116.7 per 100,000. Children aged 12–23 months (770.6) and adults aged 75 and older (426.9) follow.
Is COVID-19 rising in the US in September 2026?
Yes. CDC estimated infections were growing or likely growing in 27 states in mid-September 2026, down from 35 the week before. National wastewater levels stayed low and hospitalizations remained low.
What is H3N2 subclade K?
It is the flu variant that dominated the 2025–26 season. It made up 93.0% of the 2,377 H3N2 viruses CDC characterized, and it emerged after the season’s vaccine strains were selected.
How well do RSV vaccines and antibodies work?
RSV hospitalization rates in infants aged 0–7 months were 28% to 43% lower in 2024–25 than in 2018–20. A large cohort study found nirsevimab was 77% effective against infant hospitalization.
How many Americans got a COVID-19 vaccine in 2025–26?
About 17.5% of adults 18 and older had received a 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccine as of February 22, 2026. Updated 2026–27 vaccines were approved in late August for adults 65 and older and people with a risk condition.
When does the 2026–27 flu season start?
CDC’s flu surveillance year begins in Week 40, which runs October 4–10, 2026. Until then CDC publishes a streamlined weekly FluView report.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
