Should you get a flu shot? Experts say yes
Mutations to some H3N2 strains might be mismatched to the current flu vaccine, but doctors explain why it’s still a good idea to get the shot.
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- A little more than 2 million Michiganders are vaccinated for the flu.
- Michigan health department says the influenza vaccine helps protect against a new variant called subclade K.
- The state health department recommends all eligible people ages 6 months and older get an annual flu shot.
With the holiday season here, the Michigan health department is encouraging residents to get a flu shot, which public health officials say will help protect against a new variant of the virus.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Dec. 2 that influenza activity is on the rise across the country, including in Michigan, and vaccination is an important tool for prevention of serious illness. It recommends all eligible persons ages 6 months and older get an annual flu shot.
“The flu vaccine may not prevent mild illness, but data shows it reduces severe complications of influenza, including hospitalization,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive, said in a news release. “Getting a flu vaccine now is a great way to boost your immunity against influenza through the winter months, when we tend see even more cases.”
According to the Michigan Respiratory Virus Immunization Statewide Summary, influenza vaccine coverage in Michigan for the 2025–26 season is low. A check on Dec. 2 indicated a little more than 2 million people in Michigan are vaccinated for influenza for the 2025-26 season — about 21% — or 1 in 5 residents.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35.8% of children and 39% of adults age 18 and older, including 59.9% of adults over age 65, had reported receiving a flu shot in the U.S. as of Dec. 1. The agency indicated that seasonal influenza activity remains low nationally, but is increasing in children and young adults.
Michigan public health officials say the new influenza H3N2 strain — the variant subclade K — is spreading quickly. They said the H3N2 strain tends to cause more severe illness than the H1N1 influenza subtype, with Michigan typically seeing circulation of both strains during each flu season.
Despite the new variant, vaccine effectiveness estimates from the United Kingdom show that this season’s flu vaccine provides protection and reduces serious outcomes, preventing 70%-75% of flu-related hospital visits for children and 30%-40% for adults, according to the Michigan health department release.
It said the UK, Canada and other countries are experiencing an earlier and more intense start to their flu season, which has timing similar to the United States.
In the UK, cases normally peak between late December and early February. This year, there had been an influx of cases in November. The percentage of positive flu tests continues to rise, reaching 13.3% as of Nov. 9, which is higher than the approximately 4% at this time in 2024, according to the release.
It said the most recent UK flu cases are caused by the H3N2 strain, and the majority of tested samples showed the newer version of that strain. The UK’s trends, the release said, may predict potential flu activity in the U.S.
This year’s vaccine was designed to protect against an H3N2 strain known as subclade J.2. Since the vaccine was developed, the state health department said, the newer variant subclade K has emerged.
“In the UK, hospitals have noted higher than normal respiratory infections. Public health officials partially attribute these findings to subclade K’s efficient spread,” according to the release.
It said that during the 2024-25 flu season in Michigan, there were more than 33,000 hospitalizations from October 2024 to May 2025.
There were 14 pediatric influenza deaths in Michigan during the 2024-25 flu season, the highest since the state began tracking pediatric flu mortality in 2004, according to the state health department. It said there were eight deaths reported in each of the prior flu seasons. The U.S. also had a record number of pediatric flu deaths last season.
According to the Dec. 1 Michigan Flu Focus, a weekly influenza surveillance report, there have been no influenza-associated pediatric deaths confirmed by the Michigan health department and none reported nationally for the 2025-26 flu season for the week ending Nov. 22. The report indicated the percent of emergency department visits associated with flu in Michigan was 0.5%.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.
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