 It is often stated that about 36 @,@ 000 die from the seasonal flu in the U.S. each year , and this is frequently understood as an indication that the H1N1 strain was not as severe as seasonal influenza . The 36 @,@ 000 estimate was presented in a 2003 study by CDC scientists published in the Journal of the American Medical Association but only refers to a period from 1990 – 91 through 1998 – 99 . During those years , the number of estimated deaths ranged from 17 @,@ 000 to 52 @,@ 000 , with an average of about 36 @,@ 000 . The JAMA study also looked at seasonal influenza @-@ associated deaths over a 23 @-@ year period , from 1976 – 77 and 1998 – 99 . During that period , estimates of respiratory and circulatory influenza @-@ associated deaths ranged from about 5 @,@ 000 to about 52 @,@ 000 , with an average of about 25 @,@ 000 . While the 36 @,@ 000 number is often cited , it 's important to note that during that decade , influenza A ( H3N2 ) was the predominant virus during most of the seasons , and H3N2 influenza viruses are typically associated with higher death rates . CDC believes that the range of deaths over the past 31 years ( ~ 3 @,@ 000 to ~ 49 @,@ 000 ) is a more accurate representation of the unpredictability and variability of flu @-@ associated deaths . The annual toll from seasonal influenza in the US is more accurately estimated at 3000 – 49 @,@ 000 deaths per year . So the H1N1 pandemic estimated mortality of 8 @,@ 870 to 18 @,@ 300 , places it in the mid @-@ range of estimates . 
