Good USA Today article

Flu hit working-age adults hardest this year By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY Very young children and the elderly usually suffer the most from seasonal flu, but this year, all those in between are being hit hardest. Working-age adults accounted for 61% of influenza hospitalizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. Last flu season, about 35% of flu hospitalizations were people ages 18 to 64, the CDC said. People in that age range accounted for about 60% of flu deaths. That compared with 18%, 30% and 47% for the three previous seasons, the CDC reported. "One of the reasons flu is hitting young adults hard is such a low proportion get the flu shot," CDC Director Tom Frieden said. "Only one-third were vaccinated. That's in contrast to a 60% vaccination rate for seniors and more than 50% for children. Vaccination rates make a difference. "We're seeing more of our cases in working-age adults," said Edward Belongia, an expert on flu vaccine effectiveness at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in Marshfield, Wis. People with underlying illness -- especially obesity, diabetes and lung problems -- were at highest risk. Only about 15% of adults hospitalized for the flu didn't have an underlying complication, said Anne Schuchat at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. This year's flu season isn't finished, the CDC said. It will probably go on for several more weeks, especially in regions where activity started later, such as the Northeast and West Coast.