Flu in Alabama: Is It Still Going Around? March 2026 Update
Is the Flu Still Going Around in Alabama?
Flu is still circulating in Alabama as of late March 2026, though the worst of the 2025-2026 flu season appears to be behind us.
The CDC’s ILINet surveillance network tracks the percentage of outpatient visits for flu-like illness (ILI) in every state. Alabama typically sees higher flu activity than many Northern states due to its position in the Southern flu corridor, where respiratory viruses often circulate earlier and longer.
Check the Alabama flu activity page for the exact current ILI rate, updated every Friday.
Alabama vs. Nearby States
How does Alabama compare to its neighbors? The Southern states often see similar flu patterns, but local conditions can cause differences:
- Mississippi — Alabama’s closest match geographically
- Tennessee — Often tracks slightly ahead of Alabama
- Georgia — Similar climate and flu timing
- Florida — Can see extended flu activity due to year-round travel
Use our national flu map to compare all states at once.
When Does Flu Season End in Alabama?
In the Southeast, flu season typically runs from October through April, with the peak usually in January or February. By late March, most Southern states are on the declining side of the curve.
However, flu can continue to circulate at low levels through May. If you haven’t been vaccinated this season, it’s not too late — the CDC recommends flu vaccination as long as viruses are still circulating.
Other Respiratory Illnesses in Alabama
Flu isn’t the only thing going around. Here’s what else to watch:
- Alabama RSV Activity — RSV hospitalizations
- Alabama COVID-19 Activity — ER visit data
- Alabama Measles Cases — Outbreak tracking
- Alabama MMR Vaccination Rate — Kindergarten coverage
About This Data
Flu data comes from the CDC’s ILINet network, accessed via the Delphi Epidata API. ILI is defined as fever (100F or higher) plus cough or sore throat. See our methods page for full details.
Updated weekly. See the Alabama flu dashboard for the latest data.
See the latest data: Flu Activity Dashboard
Source and context
How this page is built
Source
Updated
Mar 26, 2026
Coverage
State and national outpatient surveillance
Best For
Plain-English interpretation paired with live flu dashboards
This article explains the signal in human terms, but the live flu dashboard remains the freshest source for current weekly numbers.
Keep Exploring
Live data
Open the live dashboard
Move from interpretation to the latest tracked numbers on the flu activity dashboard.
Local answer
Browse state overview pages
Jump from this article into the fastest statewide answer for flu, RSV, COVID-19, measles, and MMR context.
Shareable update
Read the latest roundup
Use the current weekly roundup when you want one sendable page that explains what matters this week.
Best site hubs
The strongest pages to open after an explainer
Articles work best when they send people into the site’s highest-utility hubs instead of leaving them with one finished read and no clear next step.
Direct answers
Popular Questions
Open the question bank when you want a sendable answer before opening a dashboard or local page.
Travel tool
Travel Health Check
Best starting point for destination questions, group trips, or something you can forward before travel.
This week
Weekly State Updates
Use the weekly change-log hub when the real question is what changed this week, not just the standing baseline.
Useful next answers
Pages to open after this article
If this article answered the background question, these pages help you move into the current state, illness, or parent-facing answer.
Flu watch
Current answerFlu in Rhode Island right now
See Rhode Island flu activity, trend direction, nearby-state comparisons, and what to open next if RSV is the bigger concern.
Flu + regional context
Open →Flu watch
Current answerFlu in Louisiana right now
Check the current CDC flu-like-illness signal for Louisiana, whether it is rising or falling, and how it compares nearby.
CDC weekly flu trend
Open →COVID watch
Current answerCOVID in New Mexico right now
Check the latest available CDC HHS Protect hospital signal for New Mexico, with the data week and source scope up front.
Hospital signal + date
Open →Travel answer
Current answerWhat to check before traveling
Use the travel checklist when a trip is coming up and you need the fastest route into city, state, flu, and measles pages.
Trip-ready routing
Open →Reporting gap
Current answerOregon flu reporting status
Open Oregon for the CDC FluView reporting-gap answer, nearby-state checks, and what the page can and cannot tell you.
CDC FluView gap
Open →Near-me answer
Current answerWhat's going around near me?
Start with the near-me finder when the search is broad, then choose the city, flu, measles, or state page that fits.
Local answer finder
Open →