--- title: CDC: 22 More Kids Died From the Flu Last Week description: The CDC says 22 more kids died from the flu last week, bringing the pediatric flu death count to 85. It was the deadliest week yet for kids. canonical: https://time.com/5163409/flu-pediatric-deaths/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-02-16T20:15:42.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T19:19:50.878Z article:section: Health og:title: 22 More Kids Died From the Flu Last Week, the CDC Says og:description: It was the deadliest week of flu season for kids og:url: https://time.com/5163409/flu-pediatric-deaths/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bd0b0b46b84c292/6989280afb4eac32d6895be1/flu-shot-kids.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Inside Perry Memorial Hospital As Senators Get Deal To Prop Up Obamacare og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 22 More Kids Died From the Flu Last Week, the CDC Says twitter:description: It was the deadliest week of flu season for kids twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bd0b0b46b84c292/6989280afb4eac32d6895be1/flu-shot-kids.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 22 More Kids Died From the Flu Last Week, the CDC Says > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3089996f-73f8-438f-8819-983f41b11d36&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3089996f-73f8-438f-8819-983f41b11d36&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=3089996f-73f8-438f-8819-983f41b11d36&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3089996f-73f8-438f-8819-983f41b11d36&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Feb 16, 2018 8:15 PM UTC  A 2017-2018 flu shot. A 2017-2018 flu shot. Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Feb 16, 2018 8:15 PM UTC Last week brought a dramatic uptick in pediatric flu deaths, with at least 22 more children dying from the virus between Feb. 4 and Feb. 10, [according to the CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm). That makes the week the deadliest yet for children this flu season, bringing the total number of pediatric deaths up to 84\. Many of those children were otherwise healthy, according to the CDC. The somber statistic fulfills predictions from CDC Acting Director Dr. Anne Schuchat, who [said on a call with reporters last week](http://time.com/5141414/cdc-flu-report-flu-season-peak/) that [record-breaking hospitalization rates](http://time.com/5130415/cdc-flu-update-high-hospitalization-rates/) at the time were likely an indicator of high death rates to come. “The people who are likely to die may already be in the hospital,” Schuchat said on the call. The CDC’s latest report did show, however, that about as many people saw doctors for flu-related symptoms last week as the week before, suggesting that [this year’s brutal flu season](http://time.com/5105929/why-is-the-flu-so-bad-2018/) may be starting to wane — or at least level off. Nonetheless, the flu is still causing elevated levels of illness and hospitalization in states across the country, and may continue to do so for weeks to come. CDC officials have attributed this year’s serious influenza epidemic to the prevalence of H3N2, a viral strain that’s particularly severe and resistant to vaccination. [In a report released Thursday](http://time.com/5160213/flu-shot-effectiveness-2018/), the agency estimated that flu shots were only effective against H3N2 a quarter of the time this season, and only 36% effective overall. Still, unvaccinated people are urged to get the shot, as it’s more effective against non-H3N2 strains, which are beginning to circulate more widely at this point in the season. The vaccine may also reduce the severity of symptoms in those who do get sick. Children, especially, should get vaccinated, as the CDC estimates that the shot is up to 59% effective against H3N2 among kids between six months and eight years old. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5163409/flu-pediatric-deaths/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5163409/flu-pediatric-deaths/"},"headline":"22 More Kids Died From the Flu Last Week, the CDC Says","datePublished":"2018-02-16T20:15:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:19:50.878Z","description":"It was the deadliest week of flu season for kids","url":"https://time.com/5163409/flu-pediatric-deaths/","keywords":["Public Health","onetime","healthytime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bd0b0b46b84c292/6989280afb4eac32d6895be1/flu-shot-kids.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bd0b0b46b84c292/6989280afb4eac32d6895be1/flu-shot-kids.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Inside Perry Memorial Hospital As Senators Get Deal To Prop Up Obamacare","caption":"Inside Perry Memorial Hospital As Senators Get Deal To Prop Up Obamacare","creditText":"Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/public-health/","name":"Public Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5163409/flu-pediatric-deaths/","name":"22 More Kids Died From the Flu Last Week, the CDC Says"}}]}] ```