Public health experts warn of a severe flu season due to a new strain, subclade K, which has already caused an epidemic in Japan and an early start to the flu season in the UK and US. This strain, a variant of H three N two, has historically caused more severe symptoms and led to high hospitalization and pediatric death rates. The new strain seems to have evaded some prior immunity, potentially explaining the earlier and increased number of cases. Vaccination rates are reportedly lower than previous years, especially among children, which could exacerbate the situation. However, early reports from the UK suggest the current vaccine still offers some protection against the new variant.

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