DENVER (KDVR) — Health officials are keeping a close eye on our neighboring states when it comes to monitoring and tracking flu cases.

Here in Colorado, cases are still low. But flu season has just begun, and there’s new concern we could be in for some rough months ahead.

The problem, according to health officials, is flu season is notoriously unpredictable.

But given how more people are traveling right now and COVID restrictions have loosened, health experts fear Coloradans won’t take the same safety measures they took last flu season.

State data shows last season, only 34 people in our state were hospitalized due to the flu.

However, the season before, in 2019-2020, about 3,500 people were hospitalized.

Some doctors believe we could see similar numbers this year.

While Colorado’s flu cases are rather low right now, neighboring states like Wyoming are seeing an uptick in cases, leading them towards a moderate level.

To the south of us, in New Mexico, flu cases in late August were in a somewhat high category and have slowly been dipping back down.

Health officials say we could see an uptick in cases in our state, based off our neighbors’ current statistics.

“I would say in general that’s true. But again, it’s early in the season. So we could be seeing these little ups and downs around us. A larger trend might take some time to establish itself right now,” said Dr. Jared Eddy, an infectious disease expert at National Jewish Health.

One thing experts at National Jewish Health in Denver say we have working in our favor is: the southern hemisphere’s flu season this Summer was rather mild, which tends to bode well for us.

A new study took a closer look at what groups of children/adults are more likely to be hospitalized by the flu. To read it, click here.