A newly emerging flu variant known as subclade K is raising national concerns as early data shows signs that the United States may be heading into another severe flu season. Health experts say the variant has already driven unusually heavy outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and Australia, and it is now appearing in flu samples across the United States. Florida’s early trend reports show flu activity beginning to rise in several counties, including Brevard.
Flu surveillance from the Florida Department of Health shows that statewide flu activity earlier this year reached a positivity peak of about eight percent before dipping temporarily. While the most recent statewide report does not provide specific counts for Brevard County, it does classify the county’s influenza and influenza like illness trend as increasing. Historically, this point in the season is when cases begin to rise quickly across the state.
Nationally, the picture is also troubling. Flu vaccinations are running more than two million doses behind last year, an eight percent drop. Experts say vaccine hesitancy, confusion about vaccine timing, and misinformation about ingredients have contributed to the slowdown. The decline is significant because this year’s variant was not the primary strain included when scientists selected components for the seasonal flu shot.
