Just in time for some of the busiest days for travel and family get-togethers, flu season is hitting New Mexico hard.
National flu surveillance published by the Centers for Disease Control ranks New Mexico’s flu activity as “high” for the week ending Dec. 13. That puts the Land of Enchantment among the top 1/3 of states and territories for flu activity, according to the data.
In state, most of New Mexico’s flu activity is clustered in the four county Albuquerque metropolitan area including Bernalillo, Valencia, Torrance and Sandoval Counties.
New Mexico Dept. of Health data tracking emergency room visits for flu infection shows that flu-related visits doubled so far in Dec. compared to Nov., which had doubled over Oct.
And NMDOH tracking data shows that for the most serious visits resulting in hospital admissions, flu has overtaken COVID so far this season.
According to NMDOH, “[emergency department] visits for influenza are increasing faster than previous weeks, especially among infants and school-aged children. Hospitalizations for influenza, along with ARI and ILI continue to increase. Currently the very young (<5 years old) and older (75+ years old) adults have the highest hospitalization rates.”
While respiratory infections are problematic for everyone, persons with compromised immune systems and those who live in communal settings are particularly vulnerable. NMDOH also reports that “one outbreak in a long term care facility was reported” in mid-Dec.
Just 21% of New Mexicans have received a 2026 flu vaccine while just 10% have opted for the current COVID vaccine.