EVERETT — Snohomish County Health Department data shows a significant increase in influenza-related deaths and hospitalizations in the 2024-25 flu season compared to previous years.

In the 2024-25 season, there were 53 reported flu-related deaths, the most in more than a decade. The figure is up from seven deaths in 2023-24. The median age of people who died was 71.

The rate of flu-related hospitalizations was 99 per 100,000 residents, also the highest in a decade and up from 17 per 100,000 in 2023-24. The increase was partly due to expanded reporting through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program, said Holli Bruce, the county’s lead epidemiologist, in a press release Tuesday. The highest hospitalization rates were among adults aged 65 and older.

The percentage of emer

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