7 people in Maryland have died of the flu since September, health officials say
Seven people have died, and more than 1,900 with lab-confirmed flu have been hospitalized in Maryland since September 2025, according to the state's Department of Health.
With respiratory virus-associated hospitalizations now exceeding 10 per 100,000 Maryland residents, the department recommends that healthcare facilities institute masking for patients and staff due to the high transmission levels.
The health department reported that flu cases have surged more rapidly than at this time last year.
Dr. Nishad Rahman, the Medical Director of Emergency Medicine and Observation at Northwest Hospital in Baltimore County, recently told WJZ that area hospitals have been seeing a big uptick in flu patients for more than a month.
"This is actually an earlier and more aggressive peak than we see in any typical year, so we continue to see flu patients well into February in any given year," Dr. Rahman said.
Rise in flu cases in Maryland
Dr. Rahman said this is one of the worst flu seasons he has seen in some time. The flu activity is listed as "high" on the Maryland Department of Health's influenza dashboard.
"Every hospital is trying to staff up and put more resources toward the front end," Dr. Rahman said. "The expectation is that we will continue to see this surge, volume, and acuity of patients."
Dr. Rahman said that getting the flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from the virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 42% of adults and children have gotten vaccinated. Dr. Rahman said the low vaccination rate may be contributing to the flu surges.
"The biggest benefit is that if you have the flu shot and you subsequently get the flu -- it does not mean the vaccine was ineffective," Dr. Rahman said. "The vast majority of the time, you will not end up being hospitalized."
New guidelines for flu vaccinations for children
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services dropped the number of vaccines it recommends for every child.
The new guidelines leave immunizations, including flu shots, open to families to choose what they want to do. However, families will still have access to vaccines.
The CDC now recommends that all children be vaccinated against 11 diseases, rather than the previously recommended 17 vaccinations.
The guidelines also say that the decision to vaccinate children for COVID-19, influenza, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B should be based on "shared clinical decision-making" between the doctor and the parents, according to the CDC.
