The Colorado health department confirmed nearly 1,200 people have been hospitalized with the flu as of Jan. 12, according to The Coloradoan.
At present, the flu accounts for 8 percent of physician visits in Colorado. The state is tied with Maryland for having the second highest rate of flu hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
Earlier this month, Phoenix-based Banner Health's urgent care clinic in Loveland treated 20 flu patients in one day, Daniel Bates, MD, a physician lead for Banner's urgent care services, told The Coloradoan.
Dr. Bates noted Colorado consistently demonstrates higher flu hospitalization rates than other states, perhaps due to vaccination rates.
"Especially around Boulder and Fort Collins, you see a lot of people who choose not to vaccinate themselves or their children, so I think we probably have lower flu vaccination rates than the rest of the country, and that probably contributes to the higher risk right now," he told The Coloradoan.