Flu deaths have surpassed COVID-19 in California for the first time since the pandemic, with concerns over low vaccination rates and a likely severe flu season.

During the first years of the COVID pandemic, elevated precautions mostly suppressed the perennial flu outbreaks that typically kill between 10,000 and 50,000 people annually in the United States.

Partial CDC data suggest that influenza deaths may have already reached as high as 2% of deaths for the week ending on Feb. 1, also surpassing COVID-19 mortality nationwide which was holding at around 1.5%. More complete data is expected to be published Friday.

For the first time the pandemic began, deaths from influenza have outpaced deaths from COVID-19 in 22 states, plus New York City and Washington, D.C. Dr. Jon LaPook has the latest numbers.