Although this year's flu season had fewer deaths and doctor's visits than last season, federal officials say there was a higher rate of flu-related hospitalizations among Baby Boomers.
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2013-2014 flu season peaked during the last week of December, when 4.6 percent of doctor's visits were made by people suffering from flu-like symptoms (compared to 6.1 percent last year).
The percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia or influenza peaked at 8.7 percent this year, compared with a high of 9.9 percent in the previous season.
But the rate of hospitalization among boomers (ages 50 to 64) was higher than during the last four flu seasons – at about 54 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. One reason: lower rates of flu vaccination in this age group, the CDC said.
Flu activity this season started to decline in January and February, but there was a late-season increase in illnesses caused by influenza B viruses, the
LiveScience Website reported.
Influenza A and B are the two main types of flu viruses, and influenza A viruses predominated until March this season.
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