Flu hits Utah hard with high hospitalization rates, though doctors believe it's not a 'super flu'
KSL.com••health
Key Points:
- The 2025-26 flu season is seeing a rapid rise in cases nationwide, with Utah experiencing a high rate of influenza-like illnesses and hospitalizations, currently at 8.42 hospitalizations per 100,000 population, matching or exceeding last year's severe season peak.
- The most vulnerable groups are adults 65 and older and children under 4, with severe cases in children often involving those who were unvaccinated, according to Dr. Andrew Pavia from University of Utah Health.
- The predominant flu strains in Utah are A H3N2 subclade K and influenza B H1N1; the H3N2 strain emerged after vaccine production began, reducing vaccine effectiveness but still providing protection against severe illness and hospitalization.
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