Flu cases are surging in Minnesota this holiday season. Here's how to protect yourself
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Cases of influenza are spiking in Minnesota and across the country. Two school districts in the state went to remote learning because of rapidly spreading flu outbreaks last week, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that two children in the U.S. died in the last week from the flu.
The most recent data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that nearly 2,000 Minnesotans tested positive for the flu during the second week of December, and it’s likely that many people who contract the flu don’t get tested for it. Public health officials also say this flu outbreak is probably going to get worse before it gets better in the coming weeks.
“We're going to see it come up a little bit more over the holidays,” said Melissa McMahon, a senior epidemiologist in influenza surveillance at the MDH. “A lot of people tend to travel, and people are getting together in large groups and things like that. So we do usually see a bit of a spike after Christmas. Hopefully, after that it will start to decrease.”
McMahon and Jill Foster, a pediatric infectious disease professor and pediatrician at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, said while people should take precautions to protect themselves from the flu, the current seasonal surge doesn’t look much different than the increase in flu cases we saw at this time last year.
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The number of flu cases also began to increase sharply last December before peaking in mid January 2025 with almost 4,500 Minnesotans testing positive that week.
Foster said this year’s increase is likely due to several factors. There are a lot of parties and social gatherings around the holidays, which provides the flu virus with the opportunity to spread. There is also a new flu strain variation, and most people are not immune to it. And the Trump administration's spread of misinformation about vaccine safety has led more people to eschew the flu shot this year.
"Immunizations have been a bit chaotic this year, with recommendations coming out late, and I think there's a lot of confusion from people,” said Foster.
The pediatrician stressed that getting the influenza vaccine is still one of the best defenses against contracting the flu and spreading it to others. While it doesn’t provide maximum effectiveness against the flu right away, it’ll still give people some level of protection immediately after getting the shot.
She also recommended people avoid social gatherings if they have any flu-like symptoms, such as a high fever, body aches or a cough. A mask can also be helpful in protecting oneself and those around you, said Foster, and a mask can be especially important for those more vulnerable to developing serious symptoms, including senior citizens and those with a compromised immune system.
Dr. Foster also said she wants to remind Minnesotans that children under 4 years of age, and infants in particular, are at especially high risk for serious illness caused by the flu.
“Every year in this country, we have infants who die from influenza,” Foster said. “I think that's something that people don't really know.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there have already been three influenza-associated pediatric deaths in the U.S. this 2025-2026 flu season, including two in the last week.
