Influenza in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts

Influenza, or the flu, is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and include a sore throat, cough, runny nose, fever, headache, and muscle pains. Influenza spreads easily through coughs and sneezes and, although it goes away on its own, it can cause more severe illness and even death among high risk populations, including the elderly, young children, and those with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Influenza is also a common cause of pneumonia, and symptoms of both diseases are similar, with pneumonia being a more serious infection of the lungs and carrying a higher risk of death. Influenza outbreaks occur yearly around the world, with outbreaks in the United States usually occurring in late fall and winter. Flu symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter products, but the most effective way to prevent the flu is with a yearly flu vaccination. As of 2013, Mexico had the highest rates of flu vaccination among the elderly of any OECD country in the world, followed by South Korea, Chile, and the United Kingdom.
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Influenza and pneumonia

Doors/door knobs/handles

Eighth leading cause of death among women in 2015 Influenza and pneumonia Percentage of all deaths in 2016 that were caused by influenza and pneumonia 1.9% Percentage of adults who avoid public transportation during flu season as of 2015 35%

Everyday object that adults believed held the most sickness-causing germs as of 2015 Doors/door knobs/handles Percentage of adults who frequently use hand sanitizer to avoid sickness during flu season as of 2015 77% Percentage of adult males who took vitamins/supplements to avoid sickness during flu season as of 2015 32% Percentage of working women who avoided shaking hands to stay healthy during flu season as of 2014 24.6%

Percentage of Hispanic adults diagnosed with diabetes who had an influenza vaccine in the past year in 2015 53.9% Percentage of adults who got a flu shot before winter in 2015 47% Percentage of older people who received an influenza vaccination in the past year as of 2016 67.2% Revenue of Sanofi's Fluzone vaccine in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars) 1,683m USD

Number of people who bought medication for a cold or flu in the past year as of 2016 88.56m Leading must-have product during flu season as of 2016 Tissues Percentage of workers who always or most of the time went to work even with a cold or flu in 2016 55% Estimated pneumonia and influenza funding by the National Institutes for Health in 2017 (in million U.S. dollars) 393m USD