KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Health officials are monitoring a new flu variant, H3N2 subclade K, as the 2025-26 flu season gets underway, with Michigan's vaccination rates remaining concerningly low.
Only about 21% of Michiganders — or one in five residents — have received a flu vaccine this season, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Russell Lampen from Corewell Health said ideally the state would like to see vaccination rates around 40%.
The good news is that flu activity remains low right now, which is typical for this time of year. Lampen said the flu vaccine still appears to be a good match for the new strain that's circulating.
"By getting vaccinated yourself, even if it's not a perfect vaccine, it still may help you, decrease your shedding, decrease your transmission," Lampen said. "We're still seeing, again in Europe, with this vaccine, decrease in hospitalization rates around 70% so significant reductions in the need to go to the hospital for individuals of all ages who have been vaccinated."
Lampen said they're hoping the vaccine remains durable and stands up to this shift that's occurred within the influenza A virus, but time will tell as it spreads.
Health officials remind residents to watch for classic flu symptoms including fever, body aches, dry cough and sore throat.
People over 65 or those with underlying conditions that put them at risk should reach out to their doctor about Tamiflu, which can help with symptoms and shorten infection time.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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