How much has the flu decreased since vaccine?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annual influenza vaccination can prevent millions of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States. During the 2021-2022 influenza season, the CDC estimates that flu vaccination prevented an estimated 9.2 million illnesses, 3.1 million medical visits, 105,000 hospitalizations, and 6000 deaths.

Since the introduction of influenza vaccines in the United States in the early 1940s, the number of flu-related deaths has decreased significantly. In the decade before the introduction of flu vaccines, an annual average of 13,000 people died from the flu in the United States. In the decade after the introduction of flu vaccines, that number dropped to an annual average of 2,000 deaths.

In recent years, the CDC estimates that flu vaccination has prevented between 40% and 60% of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. In addition to preventing illness, hospitalization, and death, flu vaccination can also reduce the severity of illness and the risk of complications, such as pneumonia and ear infections.