The World Health Organisation says a new influenza A(H3N2) subclade, tagged J.2.4.1 or subclade K, is spreading fast after first being picked up in Australia and New Zealand in August and is now present in more than 30 countries. It notes there’s no evidence yet that this strain causes more severe illness, but it represents a clear evolutionary shift that needs close tracking.
WHO explains the new variant was not included in the current Northern Hemisphere flu vaccine recipe, but early data from the UK suggest existing shots still cut severe disease and hospitalisation by about 75% in children and roughly 35% in adults. The agency estimates seasonal flu still causes up to a billion infections and as many as 650,000 respiratory deaths yearly, so it is doubling down on vaccination advice, especially for high‑risk groups and caregivers.
With the holiday period expected to fuel a further spike in respiratory infections, WHO is urging countries to boost jab uptake, shore up health‑system readiness, and strengthen labs and year‑round surveillance through its global influenza network. It stresses that broad international cooperation on flu and other respiratory threats is essential, because where and when the next pandemic strain emerges—and how fast it’s detected and fed into vaccine updates—will decide how many lives can be saved.
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