Norton Healthcare reports that more than 2,500 children tested positive for the flu in the past week, and five were hospitalized.
KENTUCKY, USA — Flu cases are climbing again this winter, and doctors say more children are getting sick.
Medical experts say this marks the second straight winter with increased flu activity.
Norton Healthcare confirmed more than 2,500 pediatric flu cases over the past week, with five children requiring hospitalization.
In late December, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness reported more than 3,700 flu cases over a three-month span.
Less than two months later, the department has logged nearly 8,000 additional cases, bringing the total to 11,615 since Sept. 29, 2025, according to its flu tracking dashboard.
Dr. Heather Felton with Norton Healthcare said many flu cases remain mild.
“They can have things like fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache,” Dr. Felton said. “Sometimes you can get stomach pain, vomiting, decreased appetite, but they can both progress to more serious complications too.”
Dr. Felton said two key strategies help prevent the spread of the flu: practicing good hygiene and getting vaccinated.
“As we’re seeing this big increase in the number of flu cases, it’s corresponding with a real decrease in our vaccination rates,” Dr. Felton said. “And so I really do think that those two things are related.”
She said some people hesitate to get vaccinated because they believe the flu shot can cause the illness.
“It’s not possible for that to happen from the flu shot because it’s an inactivated vaccine, so it couldn’t cause you to get the flu,” Dr. Felton said. “Sometimes you can experience things like a little bit of muscle soreness or fatigue after getting a vaccine, but that’s your immune system turning on and making antibodies.”
She also warned that the vaccine takes about two weeks to become effective and does not provide complete protection against infection.
“But even if it doesn’t prevent disease entirely, we usually do see kids who get the flu, have a milder course of illness if they received the flu vaccine,” Dr. Felton said.
Nationwide, Norton Healthcare reports that more than 60 children have died after testing positive for the flu. One of those deaths occurred in Kentucky.
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