Scripps Health Launches Flu Vaccination Clinics

In Australia, where influenza typically spreads during the Northern Hemisphere’s spring and summer months, an early and robust season has health officials bracing for what they predict will be one of the worst outbreaks in the last decade. Influenza B cases have been particularly high, especially among children. American health experts use Australia as a barometer to predict what might be in store for the United States later in the fall when the virus typically emerges here. 

Health officials in Australia have noted that this year’s surge in infections coincides with a continuing drop in vaccination rates (from 43% of the entire population in 2022 to 32% in 2024), which has tracked a similar declining vaccination trend in the United States (from 60% of adults in 2020 to 54% in 2024), according to data from the Immunization Coalition in Australia and research conducted by scientists with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Among U.S. children aged 6 months to 18 years, the vaccination rate fell from 43% in 2023 to 36% in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

That trend comes as pediatric deaths from influenza in the United States hit a 15-year high of 216 during the last flu season, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Additionally, a recently published paper in the journal JAMA Network documented 41 cases of a rare but severe neurologic condition, necrotizing encephalopathy, in pediatric influenza patients over the past two flu seasons in the United States. Eleven of those patients died, resulting in a high mortality rate of 27%. Among the 38 patients with vaccination histories, only six had been vaccinated, including only one among the fatalities. Researchers said those numbers suggested an opportunity to better prevent these types of severe cases with increased vaccination. 

Meanwhile, another paper recently published by JAMA Network Open found that flu vaccination prevented 33% to 42% of symptomatic and asymptomatic flu infections during the 2022-23 influenza season, further validating the effectiveness of the shots.

While influenza has become a routine part of life, even a mild infection can cause physical discomfort and disruptions to schedules, while more serious cases can be deadly. During the 2024-25 flu season, the virus infected more than 39,000 people in San Diego County and killed 216 locally – that was more than triple last season’s number of deaths. Across the United States, as many as 82 million people were sickened by the infection and as many as 130,000 died. 

 And once again, there is a possibility of new surges of COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) while influenza is spreading across the region and country in the coming months, a triple-threat combination that would put even more strain on hospitals and clinics. 

“While vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others around you from infection, it isn’t the only thing you can do,” said Anthony Chong, MD, a family medicine physician and chief medical officer at Scripps Coastal Medical Center. “Washing your hands often, avoiding people who are sick, staying home and avoiding others if you have symptoms, and making sure you are current on other recommended vaccinations for pneumonia, COVID-19 and RSV are all effective measures for protecting your health.”

 Flu vaccine is now widely available across San Diego County, including at most Scripps Clinic and Scripps Coastal primary care sites, which are open by appointment to all Scripps patients, and to everyone on a walk-in basis at Scripps HealthExpress locations. 

Scripps patients can use the MyScripps portal to schedule a visit with their primary care physician to receive vaccination for influenza, pneumonia and other illnesses, or they can call their primary care physician’s office directly. Those without a MyScripps account can dial 1-800-SCRIPPS for flu vaccination information. 

The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months or older, especially those who are at high risk for complications from the flu, including people 65 years and older; children under the age of 2; pregnant women; and people with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, neurological conditions, blood disorders, weakened immune systems and morbid obesity. 

Once the vaccine is administered, it takes about two weeks for the body to build up enough antibodies to develop immunity. 

Common flu symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Some people, more commonly children, may experience vomiting and diarrhea. 

Scripps physicians also recommend these other practices during flu season: 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. 
• Watch out for flu symptoms, which can include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. 
• Stay away from sick people. 
• Cover your coughs and sneezes. 
• If you become sick, stay home from work and school, and avoid contact with others. The CDC recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone without using fever-reducing medicine. 
• Avoid the emergency room unless you are suffering from more serious flu symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; chest or abdomen pain or pressure; sudden dizziness; confusion; severe or persistent vomiting; or flu symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough. 
• For children, seek emergency medical help if they are breathing fast or are having trouble breathing; have bluish skin color; aren’t drinking enough fluids; aren’t waking up or interacting; are so irritable they don’t want to be held; have a fever with a rash; aren’t able to eat; don’t shed tears when crying; have significantly fewer wet diapers than normal; or have flu symptoms that improve, but then return with fever and a worse cough. 
• Check with your doctor to see if you should be treated with an antiviral drug. 
• If you are experiencing symptoms, use home COVID tests to see if you might be positive for that virus. 

Learn more about Scripps Health, a nonprofit integrated health system in San Diego, Calif.