South Carolina is dealing with one of the worst flu outbreaks in the country right now, with a federal tracking map placing the state at the second-highest activity level nationwide as cases pile up earlier than usual this season.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map, last updated Oct. 31, shows South Carolina shaded in orange, which indicates the second-highest level of flu activity in the country, according to WRDW. The South Carolina Department of Public Health has reported 2,279 flu cases so far this season, the station reported, though no flu deaths have been reported in the state at this point. By contrast, neighboring Georgia's flu activity level is rated low on the same map.
Health experts cited in the report say flu activity is already widespread across South Carolina and that the season is arriving earlier than it did last year. The state health department's own map backs that up, showing the current season in red, which indicates an early start compared to prior years, per the same report.
How This Season Stacks Up Against Last Year
South Carolina's rough start this fall echoes trouble the state saw during the 2025-2026 season, when the CDC's report covering the week ending Dec. 27, 2025, classified that season as moderately severe, according to Spectrum News 1. That same report noted the Palmetto State was among the highest charted levels of flu activity in the U.S. at the time, and warned that activity was expected to stay elevated for several more weeks.
National numbers from the CDC's FluView surveillance system offer a snapshot of what's circulating nationwide. During Week 43, the week ending Oct. 31, 2026, public health laboratories reported 513 influenza viruses, with 502 classified as influenza A and 11 as influenza B, according to the CDC.
Vaccine Options Available This Season
All 2026-2027 seasonal flu vaccines protect against three strains: influenza A (H1N1), influenza A (H3N2), and influenza B/Victoria, the station's report notes. Georgia's public health commissioner was quoted in the coverage saying, “The single most effective way to prevent the flu is the flu vaccine. Everyone over the age of six months should get a flu vaccine, with rare exceptions.”
The standard flu shot is approved for people ages six months and older. Flublok, an egg-free option, is approved for people ages nine and older, while an mRNA flu shot is available for adults 50 and older. Enhanced flu vaccines are recommended for adults 65 and older, and FluMist offers a needle-free alternative as a liquid nasal mist. Anyone unsure which vaccine fits them best is encouraged to consult their doctor, per the same account.
Treatment Timing Matters
For those who do get sick, timing is critical: flu treatments are best taken within 48 hours of symptom onset, the report states. Tamiflu is taken as a pill twice daily for five days, while Xofluza is a single dose approved for people ages five and older. Relenza, an inhaled powder, is taken twice daily for five days, and peramivir, sold as Rapivab, is administered as an IV in a hospital setting.
With South Carolina's health department map already flagging an early start and activity levels running high, the treatment and vaccine details take on added urgency for residents weighing their options this fall.
