‘Fairly severe’ flu season winding down in Colorado, officials say

Photo: Flu shot (AP Photo)
Pharmacist Jason To gives a flu shot to Joao Ferreira during the Flu + You event at Montclair Recreation Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013, in Denver.

The number of flu cases in Colorado may be past their peak and starting a slow decline.

Colorado has seen a more severe flu season than the last two years. So far, a total of 1,900 people have been hospitalized from 50 counties. Two children have died. But fewer cases were reported this week than the week before.

“It’s very encouraging," State Epidemiologist Dr. Lisa Miller said. "We’ve had a fairly severe flu season, so I think healthcare providers and people who have been sick out there have been very happy to see that these flu numbers are going down.”

Several tools the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment uses to track flu show the illness may have peaked during the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

“We may see some other strains of flu circulate in higher numbers later in the season," Miller said. "We sometimes see that, but we really shouldn't see this high level of flu again this season.”

A record 82 long-term care facilities in Colorado were hit with outbreaks of flu this season.