As measles cases gain national attention, the looming threat of influenza, combined with policy uncertainties and declining immunisation rates, raises urgent concerns for the upcoming season’s impact on public health across New Jersey and beyond.
Measles has drawn much of the public attention this year, but influenza may pose the larger threat as the new season approaches. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the US had recorded 2,903 confirmed measles cases by 30 August, a sharp rise from the previous year, and 94% of those infections were in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The CDC also says measles remains highly contagious, making vaccination the most effective protection.
That concern matters in New Jersey, where officials have confirmed only one measles case so far this year, even as childhood immunisation rates have slipped. Nearby Pennsylvania has reported two measles-related deaths and 540 confirmed cases, none in fully vaccinated people. The CDC says there were three measles deaths nationally in 2025, underscoring how quickly a preventable disease can turn serious when protection gaps widen.
Flu, however, has already shown how damaging a bad season can be. The CDC estimated that influenza caused 45,000 deaths, 710,000 hospitalisations and 51 million symptomatic illnesses in the 2024-25 season, the highest overall burden since 2010-11. Its flu burden data also show that the season led to about 23 million medical visits, reinforcing how widely the virus can spread before hospitals and families feel the impact.
New Jersey saw the same pattern on a smaller scale. State health figures cited in the article put flu-related deaths at 282, with 16,976 hospital admissions and 125,879 laboratory-confirmed cases during that season. The CDC also reported 298 flu deaths among children nationwide, including five in New Jersey, the most since paediatric influenza mortality became nationally reportable in 2004, apart from the 2009-10 pandemic year.
What makes this autumn especially awkward is not just the virus, but policy confusion around vaccination. Federal litigation over the legitimacy of a reconstituted Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has delayed or disrupted recommendations, and no ACIP/CDC guidance has been issued for the 2026-27 flu season. Yet major professional groups and states including New Jersey and Pennsylvania still recommend annual influenza vaccination, and the CDC continues to say vaccination is the best defence against severe illness.
For parents and carers, the practical message is plain: do not let the noise around policy obscure the value of the shot itself. Health experts note that flu severity depends on the strains in circulation, how well the vaccine matches them and how many people get immunised. But if uptake remains low, the season is more likely to hit hard; if families and clinicians stick with vaccination, the outcome is far more likely to be manageable.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
