Colorado Faces Unprecedented Flu Surge

With the holiday season just wrapping up and New Year’s on the horizon, Colorado is currently experiencing a severe spike in influenza cases, unlike anything seen in recent years.

This increase has led to a dramatic rise in hospitalizations.

The current situation evokes memories of the pandemic’s peak, as various indicators on the state’s viral respiratory diseases dashboard are concerningly elevated. However, this surge is primarily due to the flu, not COVID-19, which is also affecting populations across the U.S.

At present, nearly 800 individuals (specifically 782) are hospitalized in Colorado due to the flu, which is nearly 250 more than just a week ago and a staggering 430 more than two weeks back. This figure is a whopping twelve times higher than mid-November’s statistics.

If you compare it to last season, it’s nearly 300 more than the height of just around 500 hospitalizations in early February.

These numbers are off the charts. During the same week in 2014, 582 people were hospitalized with the flu, marking Colorado’s most severe recent flu season, according to the health department’s 2015 report.

Hope Shuler, spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), noted, “The 782 new flu-related hospitalizations reported for the week ending Dec. 27 is a record for raw numbers of influenza hospitalizations since we began tracking in 2004.” She commented that a similar hospitalization rate (40 per 100,000) was seen during the 2024-2025 season, but it took until late January to reach that figure.

The graph displaying flu hospitalizations is now shooting upwards, almost vertically, on the CDPHE’s viral activity website, which was recently updated.

Shuler mentioned that while hospitals are prepared to handle this wave through increased staffing and surge capacity, “We expect hospitalizations to continue to increase in the immediate future due to recent holiday gatherings and the return to school and work.” She assures that current hospital bed capacity for both adults and children remains manageable for this time of year.

This year’s flu season started earlier than usual in Colorado, mimicking trends seen in countries like the UK and Japan.

Dr. Shen Nagel, a pediatrician at Wheat Ridge clinic Pediatrics West, shared, “We’re seeing a steady rise in flu cases among kids, with no end in sight. This has led to a higher than normal number of patients, many requiring hospitalization or emergency care due to complications like pneumonia and dehydration.”

Moreover, he added, “We’ve had many families affected, including high-risk relatives like grandparents or young children.” So far, there’s been a silver lining: other respiratory illnesses, such as RSV and COVID-19, haven’t seen substantial spikes, averting a potential “tripledemic.”

The positivity rate for flu tests is almost 34%, indicating many are arriving at health facilities displaying flu symptoms. Currently, about 10% of emergency department visits are attributed to flu diagnoses, and traces of the virus are being detected across all 21 monitored wastewater systems.

“As of yesterday, our system has 152 flu patients hospitalized, trending higher than last season’s peak of 114,” reported Kelli Christensen, Director of Public & Media Relations with UCHealth.

The overall respiratory illness situation in Colorado is categorized as high, according to state health data. However, hospitalization rates for COVID-19 and RSV have remained relatively steady, with each recording around 60 cases. However, officials are still keeping a close eye on those viruses, as their important metrics are also rising.

The rise in flu cases reflects a national trend, with significantly increasing cases across the U.S.

The CDC reported that last week, over 19,000 patients were admitted for influenza—approximately 10,000 more than the previous week. They estimated around 7.5 million influenza cases nationally, with over 3,100 deaths linked to the virus.

In Colorado, there has been confirmation of one pediatric flu-related death, marking the first such incident of the current viral respiratory disease season.

The CDC is urging everyone six months and older who hasn’t yet been vaccinated this season to do so. About 130 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed across the U.S. this year.

Despite this alarming flu situation, vaccination uptake among Coloradans remains low, which medical professionals believe could significantly enhance community protection.

Currently, only 27% of Coloradans have received a flu vaccination this season—about 1.5% less than this time last year. Among those aged 65 and older, only about 49% have been vaccinated; for kids aged 6 months to 9 years, the rate is around 29%, and it drops to about 20% for those aged 10-19. Hispanic residents of Colorado are lagging behind other demographics, with just over 7% having received the vaccine.

Nagel mentioned that doctors and public health officials are working to address some misunderstandings surrounding this year’s flu vaccine.

“There’s been a lot of talk about a ‘mismatch’ between the vaccine and the circulating strains. Unfortunately, that overshadowed the reality that even a mismatched vaccine can provide significant protection—reducing serious illness or hospitalization rates by 50-75%, especially for children,” he stated.

He emphasizes that while the current dominant strain, H3N2 subclade K, is not completely in line with this year’s vaccine, early data indicates that “the vaccine is still effective, particularly in preventing serious cases among kids and reducing hospitalization rates in adults.”

Everyday Precautions

The combination of vaccination and preventive measures remains vital to stave off severe illness and hospitalizations. Shuler recommends that Coloradans adopt some everyday practices to limit the spread of respiratory illnesses:

• Stay home if feeling unwell.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve, avoiding hands.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
• Keep distance from sick individuals—no kissing, handshaking, or sharing utensils.
• Regularly clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces, like doorknobs and mobile devices.

Some may opt to wear a mask for extra protection against respiratory viruses. “It’s important to respect everyone’s choices,” she added.