Walgreens has released its 2026–2027 Flu Index to help track flu activity across the country.
This season’s activity is running about four weeks ahead of recent seasons, according to the company.
Consumers can use Walgreens’ online index to monitor respiratory illness trends and get a better sense of what’s happening in their area.
Flu season can be difficult to predict, but Walgreens is giving consumers another way to keep tabs on how the virus is spreading. The retailer has launched its 2026–2027 Flu Index, a resource designed to track flu activity across the United States.
This year, the company says flu activity is tracking approximately four weeks ahead of recent seasons. That timing could make it especially useful for consumers who want to follow local trends as the season progresses.
The index provides a snapshot of where flu activity is showing up, helping people see how patterns differ from one part of the country to another. Rather than relying on a single national picture, consumers can explore the information to get a closer look at activity in their own region.
“Flu activity can vary significantly from one community to another, and knowing what’s happening locally can make a real difference,” Rick Gates, Walgreens chief pharmacy & enterprise external affairs officer, said in a news release.
“The Walgreens Flu Index gives people timely information to make informed decisions about prevention, including getting vaccinated before flu becomes more widespread in their community.”
How Walgreens’ Flu Index works
Walgreens’ Flu Index is an online resource that uses prescription data to help identify patterns in flu activity. The company makes the information available through its website, where consumers can explore reported trends by location.
Because flu activity can vary by location, the index gives consumers a way to look beyond national headlines and see what is happening closer to home. The data can also help illustrate how seasonal patterns change over time.
The index is available through Walgreens’ Respiratory Illness Index webpage, where visitors can explore the available information.
What this means for consumers
For consumers, the biggest takeaway is that flu activity is running ahead of the timing seen in recent seasons, according to Walgreens. Keeping an eye on local trends may help people stay informed as respiratory illnesses become more prevalent.
The index can be a useful starting point for understanding what is happening in a particular area, but it is not a substitute for medical advice or an individual assessment of health risks. Trends in prescription data also should not be interpreted as a complete count of flu cases.
Consumers who want to follow the season can check the online index periodically to see how reported activity changes. The information may be especially helpful for people planning around family gatherings, work, school, and other activities during the colder months.
Ultimately, Walgreens’ latest index offers another resource for tracking the flu season as it develops. With activity reportedly running several weeks ahead of recent seasons, consumers can use the tool to stay aware of local patterns while making their own decisions about protecting their health.