Influenza Update-Influenza A (H3N2): How Bad is this Season?

Jan 17, 2026 | Biopharmaceuticals

FLU Season 2026-Declining but Widespread

We saw several news updates on the 2025-26 Flu season and here is some of the latest information. This article from VOX is useful but if you are not a subscriber try a search mode.Why is this flu season so bad?
If this cold and flu season seem especially sneezy-coughy-fevery to you, it is not your imagination. Flu is surging in 45 states and outpatient doctor visits for flu-like symptoms are the highest they’ve been since we started keeping track of the data.

*Read in Vox: https://apple.news/A0GD0_g5BS0ew7wE0QwbI1g

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One of our readers (LM) offered this concise commentary:

“Immunizations are down and 2 new strains have emerged.    Historically flu vaccines are 30-60% effective.  Far less than covid vaccines.  Hence a population must maintain a high level of immunity to thwart the transmission to others ( herd immunity)

Influenza viruses and all RNA viruses have short lives( no chronic states), so limiting transmission to susceptible individuals rapidly reduce infections Thus low efficiency vaccines do reduce infections as many do retain partial immunity from previous exposures which forms a baseline immunity level.
It is the youngest and immunocompromised individuales that suffer the most. Youth-as they have had no exposure to many influenza strains
This is the lesson from the 1958 re-emergence of the Spanish flu strain.  The elderly  had stiill retained some immunity because we were born in mid 40’s
good question.”
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Influenza viruses come in many forms, but the ones that cause the most disease in humans are the flu A viruses H1N1 and H3N2, and influenza B. Subclade K is a variant of the H3N2 family of viruses, which can trigger more severe seasons and which seem to be harder on older people, who are among the most vulnerable to flu.

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Here is some data from the “slimmed down” CDC through Jan 10,2026:
“Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated nationally, but influenza activity has decreased or remained stable for two consecutive weeks. CDC will continue to monitor for a second period of increased influenza activity that often occurs after the winter holidays.”

Very high activity States: NM,MO, LA,SC, MA etc.

 

 

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