"Chief among them: Get a flu shot. No, the vaccine isn't a perfect match this year, but it can still help prevent severe illness and lessen the virus' impact. The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that flu hospitalizations are climbing across all age groups in the U.S. Several states, including Colorado, New York, New Jersey and Louisiana, are being hit particularly hard."
"The culprit behind the outbreak, which hit Japan early then strained hospitals in the UK and spread to other parts of Europe before reaching Canada, is a new strain dubbed subclade K. The flu genome is constantly undergoing minute changes that, cumulatively, can allow the virus to sidestep our preexisting immunity (the defenses established by past infections and vaccinations) as well as the protection offered by the annual flu shot."
Flu cases in the U.S. are increasing as holiday travel accelerates, driven by a new strain labeled subclade K. Vaccination remains recommended despite imperfect match because it can prevent severe illness and reduce the virus's impact. CDC data show hospitalizations rising across all age groups, with Colorado, New York, New Jersey and Louisiana particularly affected and some schools closing. An elementary-school-aged child in the Denver area died from the flu. Subclade K emerged after outbreaks in Japan, stressed UK hospitals, and spread through Europe to Canada. The strain carries subtle changes in a key protein that help viral entry; researchers continue to study its implications.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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