Doctor's Offices Are Overwhelmed: Why This Flu Season Is Breaking 30-Year Records

Doctor's offices across America are experiencing their busiest flu season in nearly three decades, with nearly 1 in 10 outpatient visits now for flu-like symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for the week ending December 27, 2025, 8.2% of all doctor visits nationwide were for flu-related illnesses—the highest percentage recorded since the CDC began tracking this data in 1997. This surge reflects more than 11 million illnesses and 120,000 hospitalizations this season alone, with at least 5,000 deaths reported, including nine children.

Why Are Hospitals Suddenly So Overwhelmed?

The strain on healthcare systems goes beyond raw numbers. Emergency departments and hospital wards are dealing with a perfect storm of factors that's pushing patient volumes to unsustainable levels. Dr. Nick Cozzi, emergency medical services director for Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, described the intensity firsthand: "I see a lot of patients coming in with cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, diarrhea and bone-chilling body aches," he said. What makes this season particularly challenging is that many patients aren't just dealing with flu—they're battling multiple viruses simultaneously.

The combination of illnesses patients are experiencing includes:

• Flu with secondary infections: Many patients are contracting flu alongside other respiratory viruses like COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), compounding their symptoms and severity.
• Severe respiratory complications: A significant number of hospitalized patients are experiencing dangerous drops in oxygen levels, requiring supplemental oxygen to prevent life-threatening situations.
• Rapid hospitalization rates: At Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, flu hospitalizations more than doubled in just two weeks compared to the previous two-week period, arriving earlier in the season than the previous year.

Dr. Emily Boss, director of pediatric otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, noted the concerning timeline: "This rise is earlier than last year by about a month. We don't know yet what the peak will look like compared to prior seasons". Since the latest CDC data is from the week of Christmas, it doesn't yet reflect the full impact of holiday travel and family gatherings—meaning cases are likely to climb even higher in the coming weeks.

How Does This Season Compare to Previous Years?

The 2025-26 flu season is unfolding against a troubling backdrop. The previous season (2024-25) was already the deadliest for children in years, with 289 pediatric deaths—surpassing even the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. The CDC reported an additional child death from last season on Monday, bringing that total to 289. With this year's season arriving earlier and hitting harder, pediatricians and public health officials are bracing for what could be an even more severe year for vulnerable populations.

Geographic data shows the virus is spreading relentlessly across the country. Forty-five states are currently experiencing high to very high levels of flu activity. Only four states—Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia—are reporting low to moderate flu spread, while Nevada had insufficient data for classification. This near-universal spread means that regardless of where you live, your local healthcare system is likely feeling the pressure.

Real families are experiencing the severity firsthand. Three-year-old Naya Kessler was hospitalized with the flu on December 29 and remained hospitalized nearly a week later. Her mother, Kat Kessler, described the frightening progression: "She was getting pretty dehydrated. She wasn't taking anything in. Her fevers were continuously spiking. There was just something screaming at me in my mind that something was wrong". Despite the entire family receiving this year's flu vaccine, Naya still required hospitalization, though her mother noted the vaccine likely prevented her condition from becoming even more severe.

The timing of this surge creates an additional challenge for healthcare systems already stretched thin. "It's still too soon to know what the impact of the holiday season is going to be on flu activity," said Krista Kniss, an epidemiologist in the CDC's influenza division. "We're not anywhere close to being done". Holiday gatherings, travel, and indoor crowding during winter months typically accelerate respiratory virus transmission, suggesting the worst may still be ahead.

For patients and families, the message is clear: healthcare systems are operating at capacity, emergency departments are busier than they've been in decades, and the flu season is still in its early stages. Understanding the severity and preparing for potential illness—through vaccination and other preventive measures—has become more important than ever.