Flu Cases Rising Rapidly, Driven by New Variant

Flu is rising rapidly across the US, driven by a new variant of the virus—and cases are expected to keep growing with holiday travel, the AP reports. That variant, known as "subclade K," led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada. In the US, flu typically begins its winter march in December. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states. The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season. That includes at least eight child deaths—and is based on data as of Dec. 20, before major holiday gatherings.

Some states are particularly hard-hit. New York's health department said the week ending Dec. 20 marked the most flu cases the state had recorded in a single week since 2004: 71,000. It's far too soon to know if this flu season will be as severe as last winter's. But it's not too late to get a flu shot, which health experts say can still prevent severe illness even if someone gets infected. While this year's vaccine isn't a perfect match to the subclade K strain, a preliminary analysis from the UK found it offered at least partial protection, lowering people's risk of hospitalization. According to the CDC, only about 42% of adults and children have gotten a flu vaccination so far this year.