An alarmingly fewer number of children in the U.S. have received flu vaccinations in 2024, compared to last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Among those aged six months to 17 years, just 36% received a flu vaccine in 2024, down from 43% last year, The Hill reported.
This decline comes in the wake of a particularly deadly 2023-24 flu season, during which 205 pediatric flu deaths were officially reported.
"Not all children whose death was related to an influenza virus infection may have been tested for influenza," the CDC wrote in a Nov. 22 memo. The organization estimates the true number of deaths was closer to 724.
While roughly 14% of parents said they still plan to "probably" obtain a flu vaccine for their children, CDC officials are concerned about the low vaccination rates heading into the winter months.
This year's flu vaccines are designed to protect against three common virus strains: A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and B/Victoria.
The CDC emphasized the importance of flu shots in reducing severe illness and death, noting vaccine effectiveness has ranged from 19% to 60% over the past 15 years.
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