The flu has officially hit Colorado, with two long-term care facilities — in Boulder and El Paso — reporting “outbreaks” of three or more cases, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment Monday.
Colorado is the only state with “widespread” flu activity so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lisa Miller, deputy chief medical officer for the state, said there have been no pediatric flu deaths in Colorado so far, and no other flu deaths that she knows about — only pediatric deaths are reported.
The state has had about 100 people hospitalized for flu already, she said, which is a relatively high number for January. “All of last year, it was 364,” Miller said, “and we didn’t peak until March.”
Flu vaccine remains widely available in the state, Miller said, urging people who have not been vaccinated to get a shot now.
