Influenza Insights.
Nine years of influenza-related mortality data reveal when deaths concentrate, which age groups face the highest recorded burden, and how patterns differ across states.
A closer look at
influenza mortality.
Use the filters to explore different years, age categories and locations. Death counts come from the monthly source; mortality rates use available population denominators.
Rates exclude North Dakota because its population denominator is unavailable. All-years rates use summed annual population (person-years). National death counts include North Dakota.
Nine years.
Changing patterns.
Explore annual changes from 2009 through 2017. The Chart View selection below controls all three annual charts. The year filter highlights the chosen year while keeping the full history visible.
Annual mortality trend
Annual death counts from the monthly records.
Counts include all jurisdictions; rates use matched jurisdictions only.
Two distinct age populations
Compare annual deaths among adults under 65 and those aged 65 or older. Bars stack the two groups; lines show each separately. Uses all nine years for context.
Annual deaths vs 2009–2017 average
Every point or column is one calendar year’s deaths. The copper reference line is the average number of deaths per year across all nine years (2009–2017) for the currently selected state and age category. Changing the year filter highlights the selected year; otherwise 2017 is highlighted.
Nine-year average benchmark.
When the burden
intensifies.
One monthly explorer replaces separate charts. Choose a series, view counts or percentages, and switch between a line chart, columns, and a heatmap.
Monthly influenza mortality · 2009–2017
Compare how recorded deaths change through the twelve calendar months. By default, the line totals each calendar month across 2009–2017. Select Individual years to compare all nine years separately.
With all years selected, the combined monthly line sums deaths from the same month across 2009–2017. It is not a nine-year average. Select Individual years for nine separate series.
One country.
Different outcomes.
Compare state mortality using genuine state boundaries. Select a state on the map to filter the other sections.
Interactive U.S. state map
Actual geographic state outlines, with Alaska and Hawaii shown as insets. Hover over a state for its name and value; click to filter. Darker green shows higher values for the selected measure.
Select a state
Click any tile to see its death count and mortality rate.
North Dakota has no supplied population denominator: it appears hatched when mortality rates are selected. Counts remain available. State boundaries are simplified for web display.
Highest-burden jurisdictions
Rank states by the selected measure. Death rates compare relative burden; death totals highlight absolute workload.
Rates exclude North Dakota. All-year rates use person-years across 2009–2017.
Age changes
the picture.
The supplied death counts are concentrated among older age groups. Detailed ten-band values represent deaths, not mortality risk; their corresponding age-band population denominators were not provided.
Ten age-group breakdown
Across 2009–2017, compare the number of recorded deaths within each of the ten age bands. This is a national breakdown and does not vary with the selected state; the year filter does apply.
The age-band chart remains nationwide when a state is selected. Population denominators for these ten separate age groups were not supplied, so detailed age-specific mortality rates are not shown.
of recorded deaths were among people aged 65 or older across the full 2009–2017 dataset.
had the largest cumulative total across nine calendar years.
was the age band with the largest recorded death count.
Population size
meets mortality.
Is the number of older residents related to the recorded mortality burden? Each dot is one state or Washington, D.C.—not a region. Compare the relationship visually or inspect an ordered state ranking.
Older-adult mortality across states
Default: states ranked by deaths per 100,000 residents aged 65+. Use the alternative scatter plot to see whether states with more older residents also record more deaths. These are states, not geographic region groups.
Rates: age-65+ deaths divided by age-65+ population, multiplied by 100,000. North Dakota is excluded because its population data is unavailable. The selected year controls the time period; all years use person-years.
What the data
can — and cannot — say.
Historical descriptive analysis supports identifying patterns and prioritizing investigation. It does not predict a future influenza season or dictate staffing levels.
Prepare for winter.
Protect older adults.
Across the supplied historical records, mortality is highest in winter months and concentrated among older adults. Comparing standardized mortality rates alongside death counts provides a fairer view of geographic burden than using totals alone.
Data quality & interpretation
Monthly data supplies all death counts; annual records supply age-group population denominators. Annual death totals are never added to monthly totals.
North Dakota has monthly deaths, but no annual population records. Its death counts are included; its mortality rates are unavailable.
Six Nebraska annual totals exceed their corresponding monthly sums. The JSON uses the monthly state assignments and retains the discrepancies under data_quality.
Rates are per 100,000 covered person-years, based on the corresponding under-65, 65+, or all-age population. The denominator is not a verified full-U.S. census total.
Fine age-band death counts are available nationally. The dataset lacks corresponding population denominators for each of those ten bands.
The supplied source definition does not establish laboratory-confirmed influenza-only deaths. Historic patterns must not be treated as predictions or specific staffing recommendations.