At a time when national leadership has questioned the efficacy of immunization, the importance of vaccination is front and center among the county’s elder population.
This year, there has been an influx of cases in November and that will likely continue to increase. The percentage of positive flu tests also continues to rise, reaching 13.3% as of Sunday, Nov. 9, which is higher than the approximately 4% it was at this time in 2024. The most recent UK influenza cases are caused by the H3N2 strain, and the majority of tested samples show a newer version of that strain called subclade K. UK’s trends may predict potential influenza activity in the U.S.
Influenza viruses change over time, which is why global health experts track them closely. The World Health Organization reviews which strains are circulating each year to help guide the formula for the seasonal flu vaccine. This year’s vaccine was designed to protect against an H3N2 strain known as subclade J.2. Since development of this year’s vaccine, a newer variant called subclade K has emerged. In the UK, hospitals have noted higher than normal respiratory infections. Public health officials partially attribute these findings to subclade K’s efficient spread. The H3N2 strain tends to cause more severe illness than the H1N1 influenza subtype; Michigan typically sees circulation of both strains during each flu season.
