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Flu Reaches Highest Level in the US in 25 Years
The Subclade K influenza strain has caused over 7.5 million illnesses and nearly 19,000 hospitalizations in 32 states, with vaccine mismatch and holiday travel fueling the surge.
- On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said subclade K is driving a flu surge, with at least 7.5 million cases and hospitalizations nearly doubling to 19,053.
- Subclade K's mutations mean it is structurally distinct with multiple immune-evasion changes, while falling vaccination rates in children and adults, from nearly 61 million to roughly 48 million this year, reduce protection.
- Health officials report more than half of hospitalized patients are older adults , with about 3,100 deaths reported and New Jersey Department of Health citing nearly 600 hospitalizations from 12,211 cases on Dec. 27.
- The CDC recommends everyday preventive steps to slow flu spread, officials say this year's vaccine can still reduce severe illness, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.
- Ed Lifshitz, NJ DOH Medical Director, said, `People can not have as much immunity to it as they have in the past... There's some suggestion that it can cause a worse flu season than typical.
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Flu activity in the U.S. reaches highest level in 25 years
(CNN, KYMA) - Flu activity in the United States has reached the highest levels seen in 25 years. All but four U.S. states are at high or very high levels of flu activity. A new flu strain called subclade K is responsible for the spread. Subclade K began to spread after strains were chosen for this year's flu shots, which means flu vaccines likely only offer partial protection against it. In terms of severity, the number of people hospitalized du…
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Total News Sources41
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center38Last UpdatedBias Distribution97% Center
Bias Distribution
- 97% of the sources are Center
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C 97%
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