Houston is riding out a heavy flu wave, with clinics, urgent cares and emergency rooms all reporting a steady surge of patients and sicker pediatric cases. Wastewater surveillance and hospital snapshots show influenza A as the main culprit behind the spike, and public health officials say the uptick started after Thanksgiving and has kept rolling into January. At the same time, a notable share of parents are opting out of flu shots this year, relying instead on hygiene and at home care.
As reported by Click2Houston, Dr. Linda Yancey of Memorial Hermann said, “We’re seeing a lot of it,” describing this season as heavier than what clinicians usually expect. She urged families to call a pediatrician for fevers that hang around 101°F or higher and to treat any breathing problems as emergencies. The same report quoted local mom Robin Rasch, who says she is sitting out the flu shot this year and instead doubling down on handwashing, hydration and home care.
Houston Health Department director Dr. Theresa Tran told ABC13 that wastewater testing is showing elevated influenza A, along with RSV and a slight bump in COVID 19. She said flu related health care visits in the region are higher than last year. City figures cited by the station show children ages 5 to 11 make up a large share of ER respiratory visits, a pattern doctors say often fuels household spread. Tran also pointed to the familiar seasonal rhythm, with a rise around Thanksgiving, a dip during the winter holidays, then another climb into January.
Why doctors still push the shot
Public health authorities and frontline clinicians emphasize that annual vaccination still matters, even when the match to circulating strains is not perfect. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented recent seasons with high severity and continues to recommend yearly influenza vaccination for everyone six months and older as the best protection against severe outcomes. Local physicians add that the vaccine, combined with handwashing, staying home when sick and early antiviral treatment when appropriate, is what helps keep children out of the ICU…