Actually, many thousands don’t die from the flu every year. According to this article, https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/lawrence-solomon/death-by-influenza_b_4661442.html per the US Bureau of vital statistics, in 2010 only 500 died of flu. In 2001, there were only 18 positive flu related deaths.
The 36,000 number is always kicked around but it seems more that that’s the orthodoxy number, not based on facts and history.
This article, posted in January 2018 highlights 20 deaths. It said California, particularly high hit had 27 deaths so far. California has 12% of the US population. If 36000 was the real death toll from flu, there would have been 4300 flu deaths in California, not 27.
HuffPo isn’t a reliable news source. It is a political fake news website.