TL;DR: Dominant #H3N2 #influenza strain this year is new & the star of the season, with that part of the *trivalent* vax not a great match. HOWEVER, the vax is still doing its job of keeping most people out of the hospital.

Each year's vax helps build more diversity in your flu-attacking antibodies. You COULD get that by getting miserably sick every year but the jabs are much safer & give you exposure to 3 strains every year.

RE: https://flipboard.com/@npr/health-930k6cv1z/-/a-0gERmB5DSsifJqvaBD8SlQ%3Aa%3A3195441-%2F0

https://www.npr.org/2025/11/19/nx-s1-5607250/flu-season-h3n2-influenza-virus-shot

"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...Now, with a new variant in the mix, experts say we’re 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."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/health/new-flu-variant-subclade-k
#PublicHealth #influenza #flu #vaccines #immunizations #vaccinations #IDmastodon

With an absent CDC and mismatched ‘subclade K’ flu strain, experts face upcoming season with uncertainty

CIDRAP
November 12, 2025
By Stephanie Soucheray

https://stillcoviding.ca/en/news/with-an-absent-cdc-and-mismatched-subclade-k-flu-strain-experts-face-upcoming-season-with-uncertainty/

#Canada #health #flu #influenza #vaccines #N95sSaveLives

Outbreak: #Influenza A (not subtyped)
Facility: Four Counties Health Services
Facility Type: Hospital (Acute Care)
Unit/Floor/Area: Acute Care Nursing Unit
Location: #Newbury #Ontario
Date: 2025-11-16

Public Health Unit: Middlesex-London Health Unit
Facility Tracking Hash: #MLHU0055
PHU Tracking Hash: #OnObMLHU

Click or follow tracking hashtags to see data for individual facilities or a specific public health unit.