What is happening to flu this winter - and should you buy...

What’s Happening

Alright so Flu has come early this year with a new mutated version of the virus circulating.

What is happening to flu this winter - and should you buy a vaccine? 2 days ago Save Michelle Roberts Digital health editor Save Flu has come early this winter with a new mutated version of the virus circulating. (yes, really)

The NHS has already sent out a “flu jab SOS” encouraging vulnerable people to get their free vaccination.

The Details

But should you pay for a jab even if you are generally fit and healthy, and how do you get one? What has been happening this winter?

The version circulating this winter is H3N2 “subclade K”, a type of seasonal influenza A virus. Some are calling it “super flu”.

Why This Matters

That is not a medical term, and it does not mean the virus itself has become harder to treat. But people have not encountered much of it in recent years, which means there is less built up immunity against it in the community. Flu jabs still work to protect against severe illness.

Medical professionals are taking note of this development.

Key Takeaways

• In early December, the number of flu patients in hospital hit a record high in England for this time of year .
• There were an average of 2,660 patients a day in hospital with flu - a rise of 55% on the previous week.
• But that rise slowed and has now decreased, latest figures show.

The Bottom Line

NHS national medical director Meghana Pandit has warned that the health service is “not out of the woods yet”. People will also be socialising more during the Christmas and New Year period, and that gives the virus more opportunities to spread.

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