India, Jan. 6 -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has formally classified the 2025-26 flu season as "moderately severe," estimating it has already resulted in at least 11 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths. The data shows activity is higher than the previous season, with a peak expected over the next few weeks.

The current season's toll is markedly higher than the same period last year. The CDC projected 5.3 million illnesses, 63,000 hospital admissions, and 2,700 fatalities by the end of December 2024.

This season's numbers represent a more than doubling of illnesses and hospitalizations, prompting the "moderately severe" classification. The previous week alone saw about 33,301 new flu-rela...