The flu appears to have peaked in Massachusetts, but federal health officials warn that people over age 65 remain particularly vulnerable to the virus.

The latest data released Friday show a sharp decline for the second week in a row in the number of Massachusetts patients showing up in doctors offices and community health centers with coughs, sore throats, and fever, according to the state Department of Public Health. The portion of visits for flu-like illnesses fell to 2.4 percent last week, barely half the percentage two weeks earlier.