Flu vaccine coverage in the U.S. 2014-2023, by age

In the United States, influenza vaccination rates differ greatly by age. For example, during the 2022-2023 flu season, around 70 percent of those aged 65 years and older received an influenza vaccination, compared to just 35 percent of those aged 18 to 49 years. The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older in the United States should get vaccinated against influenza every year, with a few exceptions. Although influenza is mild for most people it can lead to hospitalization and even death, especially among the young, the old, and those with certain preexisting conditions.

The impact of flu vaccinations

Flu vaccinations are safe and effective, preventing thousands of illnesses, medical visits, and deaths every year. However, the effectiveness of flu vaccines varies each year depending on what flu viruses are circulating that season and the age and health status of the person receiving the vaccination. During the 2022-2023 flu season it was estimated that influenza vaccination prevented almost 31 thousand hospitalizations among those aged 65 years and older. In addition, flu vaccinations prevented 2,479 deaths among those aged 65 years and older as well as 63 deaths among children six months to four years.

The burden of influenza

The impact of influenza is different from season to season. However, during the 2022-2023 flu season there were around 31 million cases of influenza in the United States. Furthermore, there were around 21,000 deaths due to influenza, an increase from the previous year but significantly fewer than in 2017-2018 when influenza contributed to 51,000 deaths. Most of these deaths are among the elderly. In 2022-2023 the death rate due to influenza among those aged 65 years and older was around 26.6 per 100,000 population. In comparison, those aged 18 to 49 years had an influenza death rate of just .7 per 100,000 population.