NC health officials say they’ve seen a significant uptick in cases of flu with 63 flu-related deaths in the first two weeks of 2026. They're urging people to get this year's flu vaccine. (Image: Adobe Stock)
You probably know someone who’s gotten sick since the holiday season in December. Flu in North Carolina is widespread right now, and state health officials say they’ve seen a significant uptick in flu-related deaths in the first two weeks of January.
New data released Wednesday by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services shows 63 new flu-related deaths, bringing the total to 134 deaths this flu season. Last year at this time, NCDHHS reported 74 flu-related deaths.
Dr. Erica Wilson, medical director for the Medical Consultation Unit within the state’s Division of Public Health, says every flu season is a little different, and it’s unclear when North Carolina’s flu season will peak this year.
“Last year, we had a much later flu season. It didn’t really peak until February,” said Wilson. “This year, we’ve seen one very high peak already in early January.”
Last year’s flu season was also one of the worst since North Carolina began recording the number of flu deaths. The 2026 flu season could be just as deadly.
NCDHHS is encouraging people who have not had a flu shot to get vaccinated this season. Vaccines remain one of the most effective means available to prevent severe illness or hospitalization, Wilson said, and it’s not too late to get one.
“That’s the only way that we can mitigate the flu season and hopefully see fewer deaths this year than last year,” Wilson said.
A lot of North Carolinians haven’t yet heeded that advice. The state’s Respiratory Virus Surveillance Dashboard shows just 21% — roughly one in five people — have received a flu vaccine for the 2025-26 season. (For the Covid vaccine, less than 6% of the state’s eligible population has been vaccinated.)
“When we see lowering vaccination rates, we see not only the spread of flu, but recurrence of diseases that we have not seen in years, such as measles,” said Wilson.
While some critics have suggested this year’s flu shot is not very effective against the new strain of influenza A virus that’s now circulating, Wilson stressed it does offer protection.
“We often see peaks in a flu season with different types of flu. So our first peak was that new subclade K [variant], but it’s also possible that we could get a second peak that is another flu virus that may be a match to the vaccine as well,” she said
Nearly everyone ages 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, according to NCDHHS.
If you’re particularly vulnerable to the flu and other respiratory viruses, health officials recommend masking if you’re in a crowded place. If you do have any flu-like symptoms, cover your cough and stay home so that you don’t spread the illness to others, they said.
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