This has been a particularly rough flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has rated the season’s severity as “high,” and preliminary estimates suggest it is the worst season for flu cases and hospitalizations in 15 years.
Understanding the reasons why this flu season has been so intense will take time (after all, the season isn’t over yet). In the meantime, researchers have reported on one piece of the puzzle: An interim assessment shows the 2024-2025 flu vaccine has performed well, substantially reducing the risk of flu-related medical visits and hospitalizations for all age groups. However, less than half of adults and children nationwide have gotten the vaccine.
These findings are the result of the diligent work of flu-tracking researchers across the country. In Western Washington, this role is filled by scientists at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI). Since 2011, KPWHRI has been part of the CDC’s U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (Flu VE) network — one of four networks monitoring the trajectory of each flu season and the effectiveness of the flu vaccine in the United States. Senior Investigator Karen Wernli, PhD, has led KPWHRI’s Flu VE team since 2021. Among her team members is Erika Kiniry, MPH, who has been part of the institute’s flu-tracking efforts since they began 14 years ago.
Wernli and Kiniry recently spoke about their work for Flu VE, the crucial role Kaiser Permanente Washington members and urgent care centers play in this research, and what insights their team has gleaned from the current flu season, both nationally and regionally.
