As flu cases surge in Arlington, health leaders are encouraging residents to get vaccinated and practice healthy habits.

Hospitalizations for the flu surged by more than 50% in Arlington during the last week of 2025, according to Arlington Public Health. About 14% of all patients visiting emergency departments and urgent care clinics were diagnosed with the virus.

“While last year was one of the worst flu seasons we had seen in many years, this year may surpass it,” Taryn Overman, VHC Health’s associate chief nursing officer, told ARLnow.

Emergency department visits for the flu are trending up across Virginia, making up 9.8% of all visits as of the last week of December. Meanwhile, almost a quarter of all emergency visits statewide — 24.3% — were for respiratory illnesses, a 6.1-point increase from the previous week.

By age group, the largest proportion of patients were from 0-4 years old and 5-17 years old.

Arlington Public Health offered the following advice to help prevent the spread of illness.

  • Get vaccinated: It’s not too late to get your flu shot. Arlington Public Health strongly recommends flu vaccination to reduce illness and hospitalization. COVID-19 vaccination is also advised, and both vaccines can be given at the same time. Vaccines are widely available through primary care providers and local pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens. To find a location, visit vaccinefinder.org.
  • Practice good hygiene: Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer to kill germs.
  • Stay home if you’re sick: This helps prevent spreading illness to others.
  • Consider wearing a mask: Masks provide an added layer of protection against respiratory viruses.

Additionally, Overman advised members of the public to support a healthy immune system by staying hydrated, getting plenty of sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and managing stress.

“It is recommended that you stay home until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours,” she said. “If you must be around others, wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of flu.”

During the last full week of 2025, seven Arlington residents visited emergency rooms for Covid and 12 were hospitalized for RSV, according to the county’s respiratory illness dashboard.

About 17.3% of Arlington’s population has received the 2025-26 Covid vaccine, significantly above the statewide average of 9.2%.

Statewide, Covid-19 and RSV cases are relatively stable, making up 0.7% and 0.6% of all emergency department visits, respectively.