Tulsa flu season: health department reports rising cases, 5 deaths

The Oklahoma State Department of Health says the number of people with the flu is high and widespread, and only getting worse.

The state said February is the most common month for the flu season to peak.

Q: What does the Tulsa Health Department’s data say so far for the 2024-2025 flu season?

A: The Tulsa Health Department reports five people with the flu have died this season. All of those people were 50 or older.

The county reports more than 200 people have been hospitalized with the flu this season, impacting all age groups, but mostly those 65 and up.

Q: How does this season compare to others in recent memory?

A: To put things in perspective, the 2017- 2018 flu season in Tulsa County was the worst in the last nine years, with 53 deaths.

The 2021-2022 season had the least number of deaths in the last nine years, with two deaths.

Q: What preventative measures does the Tulsa Health Department suggest?

A: Tulsa Health Department Epidemiologist Abhishek Shakya says stay home if you're sick and be sure you're washing your hands. He also said it's not too late to get a flu vaccine.

"We're still not too late for vaccines. We still have the February season coming up. So to avoid those high numbers at that time, if you have not updated your vaccines yet, or if you have not gotten the flu vaccine, this is still a good time to kind of get through those and hopefully we can kind of have lower numbers for next month,” Shakya said.

Q: If I already had the flu this season, and wasn’t previously vaccinated, should I go get a flu shot? 

A: If you already had the flu this season, Shakya said it is still recommended to get the flu shot because you don't know how long your immunity will last. He suggests people consult with their doctor, and adds, the season can last until May.

Editor's Note: All Tulsa Health Department data in this story is as of 1/23/2025