October 20, 2023- Walgreens launched the 2023-2024 Walgreens Flu Index to help communities track flu activity in their area and serve as an important reminder to take preventive measures, including an annual flu shot. Walgreens has produced this online, interactive tool for 10 flu seasons to show trends in flu activity week-over-week.
The Walgreens Flu Index shows that, to date, overall flu activity is 66% lower compared to the start of the 2022-2023 flu season, with activity increasing 13% over the past week. During the week of Oct. 9, flu activity was the highest in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Louisiana. Several areas in the southern U.S., including Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville- McAllen, Texas, Lafayette, Louisiana, and Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas, were designated the top markets with the most widespread flu activity so far.
Despite the unusual patterns of flu activity last season, the virus still had a major impact on communities and the healthcare system, driving a similar level of illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths as in pre-pandemic years and contributing to the ‘tripledemic’ of flu, COVID-19 and RSV in the U.S. Getting a flu shot remains the best way to protect against the virus, and potentially serious outcomes of influenza. The annual flu shot has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by as much as 40% to 60%.