MIAMI — Just in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel and family gathering season, health experts are keeping a close eye on a new flu strain that has emerged overseas.
A new variant of influenza A, known as H3N2, has suddenly appeared in Japan and England and is now causing outbreaks in Canada, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, said.
“The whole country, all of the hospitals, public health units and we infectious disease doctors depend upon that weekly notification from the CDC,” Schaffner said. “We’re looking forward to the CDC’s laboratories and epidemiologists getting back in the swing after they’ve recovered from being away from the office for so long (during the federal government shutdown).”
A CDC spokesperson told Local 10 News that flu surveillance “continued during the lapse in funding” and that the agency “continues to monitor seasonal and novel influenza activity in the U.S. and globally.”
The agency is returning to work amid significant staffing shortages following multiple cuts across the CDC in recent years.
“We know about the hollowing out of the CDC, but my fingers are crossed that they have enough personnel, both in their laboratories and those analytical epidemiologists, to put together this good information on a regular basis,” Schaffner said.
Local 10 News also checked with the Public Health Agency of Canada, where H3N2 has also been spreading.
Its latest report shows H3N2 is now the dominant flu subtype nationwide, with outbreaks rising along with weekly hospitalizations. The age groups most affected are people 65 and older, followed by those aged 5 to 19.
Schaffner urged people — especially those medically vulnerable — to get a flu shot as soon as possible to prevent a hospital visit.
“Over the years we’ve seen, no matter what the flu strains are, this vaccine helps keep you out of the hospital,” he said. “It can’t perfectly prevent every case of flu, but it works best by preventing severe disease, keeping you out of the intensive care unit and keeping you out of the cemetery. It’s not too late to get vaccinated, but don’t linger.”
He noted it takes 10 days to two weeks for the vaccine to reach maximum effectiveness — and that Thanksgiving gatherings are coming quickly.
CDC officials said they continue to recommend the flu shot, even if it may not be as effective against H3N2.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
