Last month, Nene Herald warned that the influenza season could be bad this winter. This is turning out to be the case. The NHS is already under strain, with many flu cases being hospitalised and filling the wards.
It appears that a long dormant strain, H3N2, has re-emerged. It killed around a million people in 1968/9, when it was called Hong Kong Flu.
The current version of H3N2 has somehow acquired seven new mutations in just a short period. This makes it difficult for our immune systems to recognise the virus as a pathogen.
Because this strain of flu is so new, the current flu vaccine doesn’t include a specific protection against it. However, H1N1, another lethal strain, is also circulating, and the flu vaccine does protect against this strain.
A medical statistician consulted by Nene Herald had noted the surge in flu cases. He strongly recommended getting the flu vaccination, especially vulnerable or immune-suppressed readers.