This year’s flu shot will exclude the B/Yamagata strain, which has not been detected since spring 2020, due to effective COVID-19 measures of distancing and masks.
Dr. Rebecca Wurtz notes it is unprecedented to witness a virus potentially going extinct due to human behavior changes driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Kawsar Talaat highlights that, while immunity helped diminish B/Yamagata, the flu shot remains essential as other strains like B/Victoria are still prevalent.
Despite B/Yamagata's disappearance, flu continues to circulate, responding to varying strains and their attributed illnesses, as the CDC estimates show.
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