US EditionFlu Season in the US Is Heating up, Driven by New Subclade K Variant
Subclade K's genetic changes reduce antibody recognition and increase spread; Southern Hemisphere data shows vaccination cuts hospitalization risk by nearly 50%, CDC says.
- This year, subclade K is driving a rapidly intensifying U.S. flu season as cases rise in doctor visits, and Richard Martinello warned it will be more severe than typical during the holiday period.
- Because the vaccine was selected almost a year earlier, the current vaccine edition mismatches the circulating strain, while genetic changes in the virus reduce antibody recognition and raise transmissibility, as seen in the Southern Hemisphere winter.
- Vaccination coverage in the U.S. remains low among children and seniors, with just 36% of U.S. children and 13% of adults over 65 vaccinated, despite CDC analysis showing Southern Hemisphere vaccine recipients were just under 50% less likely to face hospitalization.
- Experts say getting vaccinated is the first step to stem severity, while preventive actions like staying home and masking reduce spread; early clinical consultation is vital since antivirals remain effective.
- Record Southern Hemisphere surges last year in Australia and Brazil signal broader risk, while global travel and holiday gatherings will magnify spread and vaccine hesitancy combined with a vaccine mismatch could worsen outcomes.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Health officials issue urgent warning about lurking threat in this year's flu season: 'More severe than typical'
An old nemesis, the flu virus, is set to rear its ugly head this holiday season with a new and particularly contagious strain. What's happening? National Geographic reported on the worrisome genetic changes in this year's flu virus that could lead to a significant outbreak. "We will have a significant flu season this year, and we have a lot of concern that it's going to be more severe than typical," Richard Martinello, an infectious diseases spe…
Flu season in the US is heating up, driven by new subclade K variant
The latest data on respiratory illness in the United States shows that shoppers and merry-makers are spreading more than just holiday cheer: They’re also passing around germs. In many cases, it’s a new virus variant that’s been causing early and busy flu seasons in Asia, Australia and Europe.
The percentage of vaccinated people exceeds that of the previous two years
The new subvariate A(H3N2) subclade K expands rapidly and puts health systems in the UK, Spain and the United States under stress in the middle of the respiratory virus season.
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