US EditionA new virus variant and lagging vaccinations may mean the US is in for a severe flu season
The H3N2 subclade K variant has seven mutations that may reduce vaccine effectiveness, causing concern for a potentially severe U.S. flu season amid delayed surveillance data.
- This past week, the United States entered flu season with subclade K, a variant of influenza A, threatening harsher months ahead as seen in Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada, the Global Center for Health Security reports.
- Earlier this year, a new H3N2 variant emerged after multiple mutations, appearing after strain selection, so vaccine makers in the Northern Hemisphere did not target subclade K, creating a mismatch.
- According to the CDC's FluView for the week ending Nov. 8, flu activity is low nationally but rising, especially in children, with test positivity, hospitalizations and WastewaterSCAN data also increasing; early lab data show about 63 percent of influenza A samples are H3N2.
- Experts emphasize that the vaccine still substantially reduces severe outcomes, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual flu vaccination for everyone ages 6 months and older, stressing protection for people over 65 and young children.
- Amid a reporting gap caused by a 44‑day government shutdown, Dr. Natalie Azar said `We're flying a little bit blind` on Nov. 13, while a BMJ study predicts a severe U.K. season and experts say subclade K is likely in the U.S.
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42 Articles
People get sick with the coronavirus all year round, but it often becomes an epidemic in the fall. That's why vaccinations are also focused on that time.
NBC Chicago
A new, potentially severe flu variant is spreading in the U.S. Watch for these symptoms
Flu season isn’t in full swing yet in the United States, but a mutated strain of the virus that has caused severe outbreaks abroad is sparking concern about the winter ahead. A new version of influenza A H3N2 emerged earlier this year after picking up a number of mutations, which may improve its ability to escape immunity from vaccines, experts say. The mutated H3N2 strain, called “subclade K,” has spread rapidly and gained dominance in several …
A new flu variant has taken hold in Sweden. The so-called K mutation appears to both spread faster and cause more severe symptoms. – I would say that it
A New, Potentially Severe Flu Variant Is Spreading in the US. Watch for These Symptoms
A mutated, potentially severe strain of influenza A called H3N2 "subtype K" is spreading worldwide. Experts discuss what to expect in the U.S., symptoms, and whether vaccine still work.
A new virus variant and lagging vaccinations may mean the US is in for a severe flu season
The United States may be heading into its second severe flu season in a row, driven by a mutated strain called subclade K that’s behind early surges in the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.
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