CDC Reports Oklahoma Ranks Top In The Nation For Flu Activity

The CDC is reporting Oklahoma currently has more cases of the flu than any other state. OU Health said Oklahoma tends to have lower vaccination rates. However, this year, doctors said the flu vaccine simply is not very effective.

The CDC FluView Weekly US map shows Oklahoma in orange, representing a "high" rate of flu activity. Oklahoma is the only state with that high color, with neighboring states of Kansas, Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico in the moderate category.

OU Health said it is typically a very strong advocate for getting the flu vaccine, especially in the beginning of the season, but Dr. Doughlas Drevets expressed that given the vaccine isn't very effective this year, it may not be worth it to get the flu vaccine if you haven't already.

"At this point I'm not sure if it's really going to matter, since we already know the vaccine's not a great one and we anticipate the flu numbers will be dropping in the next two to four weeks," Dr. Drevets said.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is reporting 14 flu deaths since September 1, 2021. During the 2020 to 2021 flu season, the department of health reported a total of 12 deaths in Oklahoma.