November 13, 2025 | 09:26 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health officials in several countries are closely monitoring a flu strain that has triggered outbreaks in Canada, the UK, and Japan, according to an NBC report on Wednesday, as cited by Anadolu.
The strain, a mutation of H3N2 first detected this summer, has spread rapidly and is linked to increased hospitalizations.
"Since it emerged, it’s rapidly spreading and predominating in some countries so far in the Northern Hemisphere," said Dr. Wenqing Zhang, head of the World Health Organization's Global Respiratory Threat Unit, in a briefing.
Experts warn that this strain carries several mutations that make it different from the H3N2 components in this year's seasonal flu vaccine.
"The virus is quite different from the H3N2 strain included in this year’s vaccine," said Antonia Ho, an infectious disease consultant at the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
The UK has reported three times as many flu cases compared to the same period last year, according to James Mackey, head of the National Health Service.
Canada has also experienced an early surge, said virology expert Angela Rasmussen from the University of Saskatchewan.
In Japan, flu cases in Tokyo are nearly six times higher than the same period last year, forcing the closure of more than 2,300 schools and childcare centers, as reported by Nippon TV.
The extent of the spread of this variant elsewhere, including the United States, is still unclear. Although flu A cases have been reported, comprehensive national data are still lacking due to staffing shortages at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Despite the fact that this year's vaccine is not fully effective against the mutated H3N2, experts continue to urge vaccination. The annual flu shot is designed to reduce severity and prevent hospitalization.
Early evidence from the UK suggests that the current vaccine may still be up to 40 percent effective in preventing adult hospitalizations.
Editor’s Choice: Surge in Post-COVID Flu Cases Prompts Call for Updated Vaccines
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