Flu deaths have doubled in NC since week of Christmas. Has the season peaked?

Richard Stradling, The News & Observer on Jan 14, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The number of people who have died from complications of the flu in North Carolina more than doubled in the last two weeks to 134, according to state health officials.

Another 26 people died in the state last week, according to the latest data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency also revised figures it released for the week of New Year’s upward to 48, for a two week total of 74.

While the death toll continues to rise, other data suggests an early peak to the season. The number of people showing up at hospitals with respiratory illnesses declined again last week, to 14.2%, down from more than 25% from the week of Christmas.

Also last week, 2,502 people with respiratory illnesses were admitted to a hospital from an emergency department, nearly 1,100 fewer than a week earlier.

It’s not unusual to see flu peak and decline only to peak again later in the season, said Dr. Erica Wilson, medical director for the Medical Consultation Unit at DHHS.

“Every flu season is different,” Wilson told reporters Wednesday. “When the flu season peaks and when we see the most deaths does change a lot from year to year.”

North Carolina is coming off one of the most severe flu seasons on record. Last season 542 people died of complications of the flu in the state, the most since the state began compiling flu death records in 2009.

Most of those deaths occurred later in the season, Wilson said.

“It remains to be seen how bad this flu season is going to be,” Wilson said. “We’ve had one very high peak, but flu season still has a couple of months left.”

People age 65 and older account for nearly 78% of flu deaths so far. But three who died were between the ages of 5 and 17.

DHHS does not provide data about how many who have died of flu were vaccinated. The agency stopped releasing that information in 2023 when it determined it was not reliable. Health providers are not required to report when adults have been vaccinated for the flu, Wilson said.

But vaccination makes a difference, health officials say. Of the 280 children who died from flu complications nationwide last season, about half did not have an underlying medical condition and 89% were not fully vaccinated, according to DHHS.

State officials say it’s still not too late to get vaccinated for the flu. They say it’s particularly important for those most vulnerable to the illness, including children under 5 and those with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or a weakened immune system.

“We encourage everybody to get vaccinated — it’s not too late — and to take the steps to protect themselves from flu,” Wilson said. “That’s the only way that we can mitigate the flu season and hopefully see fewer deaths this year than last year.”

Several hospitals in the state, including Duke, WakeMed, UNC Hospitals and UNC Rex, have placed restrictions on visitors to try to prevent the spread of the flu.