Flu season is here again and global health experts are getting worried about a strain that came up in June. The worry's cause is that the strain came up four months after the makeup of this year's flu shot. This is the strain H3N2. The strain has caused outbreaks in Canada and in the UK, and health officials have warned about the early wave that is sending people to the hospitals. As per Dr Wenqing Zhang, who is the head of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Global Respiratory Threats Unit, "Since it emerged, it is rapidly spreading and predominating in some countries so far in the Northern Hemisphere."The New StrainThe version of H3N2, which has been circulated worldwide this year "acquired 7 new mutations over the summer," said Antonia Ho, a consultant in infectious disease at Scotland's University of Glasgow. As per her media statement, this "means the virus is quite different to the H3N2 strain included in this year's vaccine". The strain is now picking up in Canada, after it has been active in the UK, leading to flu cases being triple to what it was the same time last year. Furthermore, generally, H3N2 is thought to cause more illness, and this could be worse for older adults. In fact, Japan is also experiencing an early and harsh flu season. Japanese news outlet Nippon TV reported that as of November 4, flu cases in Tokyo has surged six times to the level it had seen last year. This data has been confirmed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. As per the media outlet, more than 2,300 day cares and schools were partially closed. What Is Happening In The US?H3N2, which is a strain of influenza have had some cases in the US, where people reported positive for flu. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not provided any detailed national report on flu since September 26, ever since the government shutdown happened. What About This Year's Flu Shot? Will It Be Of any Use?Every February, global health experts and vaccine manufacturers decide which flu strains should be included in the Northern Hemisphere’s fall vaccine, based on the strains circulating in the Southern Hemisphere. This year’s flu shot targets three strains, two influenza A types and one influenza B.While the annual flu vaccine doesn’t always prevent infection, it significantly reduces the severity of illness. Last year, it was up to 55% effective in preventing hospitalizations among adults with the flu.On Tuesday, U.K. health authorities reported early data showing that this year’s vaccine is up to 40% effective at preventing hospitalizations in adults.Despite the variation in effectiveness, experts stress the importance of getting vaccinated. “Decades of data show that even when the match isn’t perfect, the flu shot continues to prevent hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and helps keep people out of the cemetery,” said Dr William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, as reported by NBC.
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