HJAR Sep/Oct 2025

34 SEP / OCT 2025 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS ADH CORNER COLUMN ADH CORNER SEASONAL INFLUENZA(flu) continues to be a serious public health concern for our state. The 2024–2025 flu season, with 186 reported deaths, was Arkansas’s deadliest flu season since the 2017–2019 season, when 228 deaths were reported. Nationally, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 47 million ill- nesses, 610,000 hospitalizations, and 26,000 deaths from flu last season. Arkansas had 11 weeks of high or very high flu-like illness ac- tivity, and, in addition to the 186 deaths, over 3,000 flu-related hospitalizations. Seventy percent of the deaths in our state were among people aged 65 years and older. Of the 30% of deaths in people younger than age 65, most were in the 45–64 age range. There were four deaths among those younger than 18 years old. Of those who died, more than three-fourths (78%) were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. Vaccinations Make a Difference but Still Face Resistance The 2024–2025 flu vaccine was estimated to be 56% effective at preventing illness serious enough for medical visits. Vaccinated patients who did get sick were less likely to be hospitalized or die. Nevertheless, the trend is for less than half of the people inArkansas TRENDS AND TAKEAWAYS from the 2024–2025 Flu Season to get vaccinated against the flu each year. The vaccination rates for Arkansas for the 2024–2025 flu season are not yet available. However, Arkansas’s annual flu vaccination rate has been declining every year since the 2019–2020 flu season, when it was slightly over 50%. For the 2023–2024 flu season, the Arkansas vaccination rate was 44%, while the national rate was 47%. Arkansas adults aged 65 and older and school-age children had the highest vaccination rates, while adults aged 18–49 had the lowest. Flu can cause a range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, and, in some cases, complications like pneumonia, encephalitis, and myocarditis. It can also worsen pre- existing chronic health conditions. Most people recover within a few days to under two weeks, while others experience severe illness, hospitalization, or death. Vaccination remains the most effective way to reduce the severity and duration of flu symptoms. Flu shots are also the most effective way to reduce flu-related complications, including hospitalizations and death. They are recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older who does not have a contraindication to the vaccine. Contraindications include a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose or a component of the vaccine. Turning to Healthcare Systems to Educate Patients Strain on hospitals, emergency depart- ments, and clinics is a very real problem dur- ing severe flu seasons like this past flu season. Last season’s severity makes a strong case for healthcare facilities to invest time and effort to improve Arkansas’s flu vaccination rates as a way to protect more Arkansans. Strengthening flu shot uptake is a practical way to improve health outcomes statewide. Given that recommendations by healthcare professionals have been shown to increase vaccine uptake, there is an opportunity for healthcare systems and providers around the state to step up their efforts to educate their patients — especially those at high risk of severe illness, such as older adults, children, pregnant women, and people of all ages with chronic health conditions that increase their risk of severe illness — about flu vaccines and assist them in making informed decisions about getting vaccinated. Hospital systems and clinics should consider incorporating flu vaccination into routine care processes and using each visit as an opportunity to recommend it.