Winter Holidays

DEERFIELD, Ill.  — The Walgreens Flu Index is tracking a significant uptick in influenza across the Lone Star state, according to the company's weekly report.

The top 10 markets as measured by flu activity for the week of Jan. 15 are:

ZANDAAM, The Netherlands — Ahold Delhaize’s Delhaize America supermarket division had a strong 2106 fourth quarter, with comparable-store growth rising by 2.2% year over year with both Food Lion and Hannaford growing volumes significantly.

“In October, Food Lion implemented its ‘Easy, Fresh & Affordable’ initiative in 142 stores in the Charlotte market, with positive initial customer response especially in Fresh. Shelf price deflation was 1.7%, broadly in line with the previous quarter,” Ahold Delhaize stated in a news release.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target’s sale of its pharmacy and clinic business in December 2015 to CVS Health impacted sales, with the company announcing Wednesday that November/December 2016 sales decreased 4.9% year over year.

On a comparable basis, total sales declined by 1.3% year over year.

ATLANTA  — Incidence of influenza is elevated in all but one of 10 HHS Surveillance Regions for the week ended Dec. 31, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported. The end of the year marked the third week influenza activity was above the national baseline level of 2.2% as activity levels continue to climb.

There were several pockets of high influenza activity, including throughout New York City, Puerto Rico and 10 states  (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Cold and flu remedies purchased over the counter at Meijer pharmacies have increased 30% over recent weeks, a possible sign consumers bypassed getting their annual flu shot during this winter season.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health is offering flu shots at 30 pharmacies inside Target stores in Washington State.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and first lady Trudi Inslee visited the CVS Pharmacy in Target in Olympia, Wash., on Jan. 6 and encouraged other state residents who have not received their flu vaccine yet to do so.

According to CVS, flu activity typically peaks in January and February, and has been rising in Washington State.

Flu shots are available seven days a week.