Looking at the Statistics on Vaccinations

Written by Dr. Shakthi Kumar

It is a common misconception that the reason to get the flu shot is to avoid getting the flu. In fact most people who are exposed to the flu virus will get some symptoms and be infected even if they received that season’s flu vaccine. The reason to get the flu vaccine is prevent hospitalization and prolonged illness. So, now that we can confidently say that flu is going away for the season, let’s look at data and see…was it worth it to get vaccinated this year?

The CDC estimated that 19,000 people have died from the flu so far this winter, including 86 children. The agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report noted at least nine of the children died from influenza-associated encephalopathy or encephalitis. Preliminary CDC data showed children who were vaccinated against influenza this year were between 64% and 78% less likely to be admitted to the hospital, compared with those who were not vaccinated. Adult data is similar to pediatric data.

So, the answer is yes, it was worth it to get the flu vaccine. The 2024-2025 flu vaccine provided protection against hospitalization and death for both adults and children. It was a bad flu year. Hospitalizations and ER visits got flu were higher than they have been in a decade. Data supports that people who were vaccinated were much less likely to have serious illness. Further, vaccination has been shown to shorten the duration of illness meaning less missed school and work.

Stay tuned for more information on next season flu vaccine, but for now we are looking forward to a break from respiratory infections!