A new flu strain slipped past this year’s vaccine. Doctors say get the shot anyway.
Over the holidays, U.S. flu cases skyrocketed.
Weekly hospitalizations from the virus went from under 7,000 at the start of December to over 33,000 by the last week of 2025, surpassing rates of the past few years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 11 million people have gotten the flu so far this season, resulting in over 5,000 deaths.
Why is it so bad? Doctors said that the surge in flu cases is largely related to a new mutation of the influenza A virus called “subclade K” — a strain that is not well covered by this year’s flu vaccine.
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