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Weekly Flu Update: Flu Activity Continues to Trend Lower

January 23, 2026 at 03:22 PM EST
UPDATED by WeatherBug Meteorologist, Andrew Rosenthal
Flu Update Valid For Week Ending January 17, 2026

The trend in 2026 for lower flu activity continues, as we are hopefully moving away from the late-December peak.

Patient visits for respiratory illnesses decreased to 4.4%, above the national baseline of 3%. Twelve pediatric deaths this week could be attributed to the flu, bringing the total to 44, and 1.8% of all deaths were attributable to the flu. Of all clinical lab tests, 17.7% were positive for influenza. All of these statistics are lower than they were last week.

Our flu surveillance product will continue to focus on the severity of the flu rather than the geographic spread. This information is reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by each state’s health department, ranging on a scale from “minimal” to “very high” levels of activity.
    
 States and territories reporting flu include the following activity and trends:

Very High (7 states): Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico and South Carolina.

  • All locations that reported Very High flu levels this week reported it last week.

High (23 states and Washington, D.C): Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

  • Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington all saw high flu activity last week and remain at the high flu level.
  • Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia were at Very High flu levels and have dropped one level.

Moderate (10 states and New York City): Arkansas, California, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia.

  • Vermont and West Virginia trended one step higher, from Low flu activity to Moderate.
  • Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Nevada and Oklahoma were at Moderate flu levels last week and remain at that level.
  • California, Indiana, New York City and Texas dropped one level from High flu activity levels to Moderate.

Low (7 states): Arizona, Illinois, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

  • Arizona, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming all were at Low flu levels and remain at that level this week.
  • Illinois, North Dakota and Wisconsin were at Moderate last week and have fallen one notch to Low levels.

Minimal (3 states, Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas Islands): Hawaii, Mississippi and Utah.

  • Utah and the Northern Marianas saw minimal flu activity last week and remain at minimal flu levels.
  • Hawaii and Mississippi dropped one level from Low flu levels to Minimal.
  • Puerto Rico reported High flu levels last week and dropped three levels to Minimal this week.

The U.S. Virgin Islands did not report this week.


Flu Facts:
 The CDC recommends that everyone older than six months get the seasonal flu vaccine, either via an injection or nasal spray. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist to learn about flu vaccine side effects, precautions, and vaccine options—several multi-strain variations are available this year.
    
 Due to certain health restrictions, not everyone is eligible to receive the flu shot. If you cannot get vaccinated, there are other ways to minimize your risk of contracting and spreading the flu:

  • Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
  • If you are sick, avoid exposing others by staying home from work or school.
  • Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
  • Wash your hands frequently.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Lastly, getting a flu shot is not a guarantee that you won’t catch the flu, but it can help reduce the risk and severity of symptoms. The CDC urges doctors to prescribe one or a combination of the three available prescription antiviral drugs to patients with flu-like symptoms. If given early enough, antivirals can lessen the intensity and duration of influenza symptoms.
    
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Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention