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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 thatâs behind early surges in the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.
Last winterâs season was extreme, too. The US had its highest rates of flu hospitalizations in nearly 15 years. At least 280 children died of influenza, the highest number since pediatric death numbers were required to be shared in 2004.
Now, with a new variant in the mix, experts say weâre on track for a repeat. And with flu vaccinations down and holiday travel on the way, they worry that things may look much worse in the weeks ahead.
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Is a bad flu season on the way? Experts see reason to be anxious
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Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky. You can reach Helen on Signal at hbranswell.01.
Last winter, for the first time since Covid-19 entered our world, influenza reclaimed its spot as the worst actor among the cast of viruses that sicken people during the cold and flu season. The 2024-2025 season was a bad flu year.
There are early indications that flu may be going for a twofer.
One family of flu viruses has recently undergone important genetic changes that both could make people more susceptible to getting sick and could mean this season’s flu vaccine may convey reduced protection. The family, known as H3N2, is generally acknowledged as the nastier of the two subtypes of influenza A viruses. The new variant, named subclade K, started to spread in June and July, months after vaccine manufacturers had been told what strains to target in the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere flu shots.
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