https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2025/12/31/flu-cases-rising-in-us-where-maps/87945691007/
A new flu variant is sweeping across the United States, causing millions of reported cases and doubling the number of hospitalizations in a surge doctors say may not end for weeks.
Flu activity is at "high" or "very high" levels in 32 states and jurisdictions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report Dec. 30. That's an increase from 17 states reported in the previous week. Since the flu season began in October, at least 7.5 million people have contracted the illness.
Hospitalizations nearly doubled in just one week, climbing to 19,053 from 9,944 the week before, based on CDC data. About 3,100 deaths have been reported. Additionally, the count of pediatric deaths has increased to five, up from two the week before.
Subclade K (previously called A(H3N2) virus subclade J.2.4.1) is a mutation of influenza A H3N2. Influenza A is typically the virus associated with the term "flu" and has evolved into many different strains over time.
Each year, the seasonal flu shot is formulated to target the most commonly circulating strains. One of those, H3N2, has been present for decades, according to the CDC and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, but its most recent mutation is different enough that the vaccine made to target H3N2 for the 2025-2026 season is not as effective against it.
Because it's structurally different, subclade K may also be better at dodging immune systems that have already built up protections against more familiar strains. This year's vaccine isn't useless against subclade K, however.
Preliminary data has shown that the vaccine is still providing protection and that rates of hospitalization and serious illnesses are comparable to last year in Europe, according to the Pan American Health Organization and research published in the medical journal Eurosurveillance.
Vaccinations have been dropping for the past 5 years. Anti science, anti vax rhetoric is contributing to this troubling trend.
https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/adults-65-years-and-older.html
I just got vaccinated for both the flu and covid at my pharmacy.
Been meaning to do it for some time but i had to pick up some prescriptions and this post before leaving reminded me.
I have a couple of diseases and one of them is an autoimmune disease that causes my immune system to be OVER active.
So i rarely get sick. In the last 50 years, i got the flu 1 time. I had covid 1 time in 2022. Ive had 2 colds During that time.
Being the chess coach at 5 schools, however means i get exposed to 200+ kids every week. We have a chess tournament on Saturday with 96 students and 100+ parents.
If you wanted an environment to spread a virus, this would be it. Before each round, when we put up the pairings everybody in each division smashed together like sardines to see where they and their next game is with the pairings posted on the wall.
I guess this happens frequently during the day at school too but not when I’m there.
2.5 days will be long enough for my immune system to start producing protective antibodies but the benefits max out at around 2 weeks.
After getting the shots, people often feel crappy the next day or 2 as their immune system reacts to the DEAD virus.
The benefits out weigh the risk by several orders of magnitude, even for somebody like me That rarely gets sick.