- Flu cases are rising again, after dropping for weeks.
- A “second peak” is likely coming, according to doctors.
- Doctors share what to do to prevent getting seriously ill from the flu.
It’s no secret that this year’s flu season has been rough. To date in the U.S., there have been 20 million illnesses, 270,000 hospitalizations, and 11,000 deaths from the flu so far this season, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And 52 children have died from the flu.
The country started to see a dip in cases of the virus, making people believe that the worst was over. Now, those cases are creeping back up.
CDC data show an uptick in people visiting the doctor for the flu, while positive lab tests for the virus are also jumping back up. “Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated nationally and increased during Week three [of 2026] after three weeks of decreasing trends,” the weekly FluView report reads.
Meet the experts: Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, M.D., a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York; William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
That’s sparked rumblings of a “second peak” happening. Meaning, there may be a lot more flu ahead. While there’s no way of knowing for sure what will happen, infectious disease doctors say a second peak is an accurate guess. Here’s why.
What’s behind the second peak?
There are likely a few things going on here, according to infectious disease physicians. “There are more than one strain of influenza that circulate and one strain may begin to rise after another has abated,” says Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. While influenza A H3N2 (a.k.a. subclade K) was the dominant strain at the start of the season and continues to drive cases, influenza B cases are also rising nationally.
“Influenza B has been smoldering along, but frequently becomes more prominent toward the end of the flu season,” says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “It looks as though we may be in a period of transition from influenza A to B.”
Even then, Dr. Adalja notes that not everyone has been infected with influenza A—which is still the dominant strain—making them vulnerable to getting it. “Also, influenza B strains are rising,” he says.
But flu doesn’t impact all geographic areas the same way at the same time, points out Thomas Russo, M.D., a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in NY. “Flu spreads across the country,” he says. “It doesn’t descend around the country all at once. It has regional trends.” Dr. Russo points out that New York state, which was hit early with the flu, is seeing a recent drop in cases.
There is also extreme cold in many parts of the country. “Cold weather is driving people indoors,” Dr. Russo says. “That may be a factor in the spread of the flu, as well.”
Can I get the flu twice in one season?
It’s easy to kick back and think you’re just fine to sail through the rest of flu season if you’ve already had the virus. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
If you had influenza A before, you can still get influenza B, Dr. Schaffner says. “That’s why the vaccine protects against three different strains,” he says.
If you’re at high risk for serious complications of the flu, it’s crucial that you continue to do what you can to protect yourself, according to Dr. Adalja. Ways to lower your chances of infection include getting the flu shot, washing hands, and wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces.
Where will flu season go from here?
With an early start to flu season and talk of a second peak coming up, it’s fair to assume—or hope—that flu season will wrap up early. But doctors say there’s no way to know.
“Flu is fickle. You can’t predict flu,” Dr. Schaffner says. “It would be wonderful if we had an abbreviated season, but that usually does not happen.” Dr. Adalja says we likely have “a few more months” before the season winds down.
Ultimately, it’s best to be aware that the flu is out there, and that cases are on the rise yet again. “This is not the time to let down your guard,” Dr. Schaffner says. “Flu season is not over by any means.”
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