The Flu Really Is That Bad
The virus is storming the country, a reminder of how terrible its toll can be.
TL;DR
- Flu infections have significantly increased across the U.S., leading to hospital overcrowding.
- The current season is comparable to or potentially worse than previous severe flu seasons.
- A dominant H3N2 variant (subclade K) is more effective at evading immune defenses, increasing sickness.
- Flu vaccines may be less effective this year due to a mismatch between selected strains and circulating viruses.
- Children are significant drivers of flu spread, and vaccination rates remain low among this group.
- Recent policy changes by HHS suggest a move away from routine flu vaccination recommendations.
- Research into faster mRNA flu vaccines has been defunded, hindering future vaccine development.
- The flu remains a significant public health threat, causing hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths annually in the U.S.