Flu continues to spread: 196 new hospitalizations in a week, 28 deaths since start of season

The flu continues to spread in Israel: 196 new hospitalizations in the first week of November, a 28% increase compared to the previous week. Since the start of the season, 826 hospitalizations and 28 deaths have been recorded. The vaccination rate stands at only 9.9%.

Influenza morbidity in Israel continues to rise: 196 new hospitalizations were diagnosed in the first week of November, an increase of about 28% compared to 153 in the previous week. This is according to a report from the National Center for Disease Control at the Ministry of Health. Since the start of seasonal monitoring, 826 confirmed flu hospitalizations have been recorded, along with 28 deaths within 30 days of laboratory confirmation. Of the 28 deceased, 27 were aged 65 and over. Concurrently, an increase in COVID-19 detection among hospitalized patients has been noted. Influenza vaccination rates remain low: 9.9% of all insured individuals have been vaccinated, and among those aged 65 and over, the vaccination rate stands at 36.2%. Vaccination rates among children and adolescents are particularly low, ranging from 2.8% to 5.7%.