Most States Are Green with Influenza Cases

The US CDC recently published its Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report: Key Updates for Week 38 of 2025, which indicates very few influenza cases have been reported this season.

As of late September, the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for the influenza virus in clinical laboratories was 0.4%. However, the 2025-2026 flu season generally accelerates in late Fall, peaking during the winter months.

This influenza test data indicates that people are seeing healthcare providers for respiratory illnesses referred to as influenza-like illnesses (fever plus cough or sore throat), not laboratory-confirmed influenza.

The CDC writes that this data may capture respiratory illness visits due to infection with any pathogen that can present with similar symptoms, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), seasonal influenza vaccination can mitigate the impacts of annual outbreaks by preventing and mitigating the severity of infections.

As of mid-2025, 130 countries reported that seasonal flu shots were available in the public and/or private sector.

In the United States, as of September 30, 2-25, almost every pharmacy is currently offering influenza vaccinations.