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Early flu season, current strain may signal risk for younger people; doctors urge shots
KSL News • • general
Key Points:
- Doctors are urging Americans aged 6 months and older to get flu vaccinations due to an unusual early rise in flu cases on the West Coast, primarily driven by a mutated H1N1 strain called G155E.
- The 2026-2027 flu vaccine targets H1N1, H3N2, and an influenza B virus, but the new H1N1 mutation may reduce antibody effectiveness, especially in younger people who lack recent exposure.
- Flu cases are emerging earlier and from the West Coast rather than the usual Southern states, with experts uncertain about the cause but noting a potential "immunological gap" due to last year's dominant H3N2 strain.
- Flu vaccination rates have declined significantly since before the COVID-19 pandemic, partly attributed to reduced promotion by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and changes in CDC recommendations and campaigns.
- Flu activity is currently rising, with positive test rates reaching a 10-year high for this time of year, especially on the West Coast and in some Southern states, prompting calls for early vaccination to prevent severe illness.
