National influenza rates increased steadily for the week of Dec. 6-12, but remained low overall according to FluView, the CDC's weekly influenza surveillance report.
The proportion of outpatient visits linked to influenza-like illness came in at 1.9 percent, which is below the national baseline percentage of 2.1 percent for the same week in previous years. No new pediatric deaths associated with the flu occurred Dec. 6-12, keeping the number of deaths at three so far this season.