FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2018, file photo, a nurse prepares a flu shot at the Salvation Army in Atlanta.
David Goldman / AP
This story was originally published by The Lund Report, an independent nonprofit health news organization based in Oregon. It is republished with permission. You can reach Lynne Terry at lynneterry@gmail.com or at LynnePDX on X.
A new influenza strain barreling across the country has hit many states hard, causing illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths to spike and bringing warnings of a record flu season.
But so far, the virus has been less severe in Oregon, with no sign that the state will see the record illnesses of last year.
State numbers show that flu illnesses are on the rise in Oregon, with hospitalizations doubling in the Portland area in the past month, but so far, the number of infections is much lower than last season, which was the worst on record.
The Oregon Health Authority’s latest Flu Bites report, which tracks infections in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties, shows that 31 people were hospitalized with the flu in the week ending Dec. 27. That compares with 146 at the same time last year.
The 2024-25 season ended with nearly 1,750 hospitalizations in the three counties and two deaths among children, the only flu deaths the state tracks. Those were the first such deaths in two years. Hospitalizations from the flu continued into the spring last year as well, with 10 people in the metro area hospitalized the week of April 27 to May 3.
Officials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned last week that this flu season was shaping up to be “moderately severe,” with a new strain of the influenza A virus — an H3N2 variant — sweeping across the country. Nationwide, 11 million people have been sick, with 120,000 hospitalized. A total of 5,000 people have been killed, including nine children, the CDC said.
Some are calling it the worst flu season in 20 years.
In the Portland area, 124 people have been hospitalized with the flu since the season started at the beginning of November, giving the state a rate of 6.8 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. That compares with 11.9 people out of 100,000 hospitalized at the peak last year.
“Hospitalization rates are beginning to increase but remain relatively low overall,” Tim Heider, an Oregon Health Authority spokesperson, told The Lund Report in an email.
Federal officials expect hospitalizations in Oregon to continue to increase in the coming weeks, Heider said. So far, they don’t appear likely to match the numbers of last year, but he said state officials aren’t able to make any predictions.
“At this time, we are not seeing any indicators of unusual severity,” Heider said.
The state does not track flu hospitalizations statewide. The Portland area accounts for more than 40% of Oregon’s population, reflecting the situation across the state, Heider said.
“We believe that these hospitalization rates generalize to the greater state as once influenza activity increases in one region, it quickly spreads statewide,” Heider said.
Influenza A is causing almost all of the infections in the U.S. and in Oregon. State officials have not analyzed whether infections in Oregon are being caused by the new variant, but state officials assume it is here, Heider said.
State officials do not track individual cases of the flu but instead monitor the rate of people reported with positive tests for the virus. That rate hit nearly 16% last week, up from nearly 11% the week before. In comparison, about a third of the tests were positive at the same time last season.
Officials urge Oregonians to get vaccinated
The health authority’s infectious disease director, Dr. Howard Chiou, said last month the season would likely continue into the spring. He urged residents to get vaccinated.
The shot this year does not fully match the new strain, but health officials said it is still the best way to prevent severe illness.
“The vaccine typically reduces the risk of hospitalization by about 50%,” Heider said.
The vaccination rate in Oregon has fallen in recent years, however, with an overall drop of about 4% last year. And that trend is continuing this year, health authority data shows. So far, more than 1.1 million residents have gotten a flu shot, more than 30,000 or nearly 3% fewer than this time last year.
The vaccination is recommended for those at least 6 months old. Young children and the elderly face the highest risk of severe illness, with older adults accounting for many of the deaths.
Besides vaccination, health officials recommend that residents take the usual precautions against respiratory diseases by staying away from others and masking.
Those who get sick should stay home, cover their cough and wash their hands. Health officials say people should take special care to avoid infecting elderly people with chronic health conditions because they’re the most susceptible to getting severely ill.
At the first sign of symptoms, they should see a health care provider. There are several treatments to lessen the severity of illness, including Tamiflu or Oseltamivir, which blocks the virus from spreading in the body. It’s important to start treatment early
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