In the UK, health authorities have discovered a mutated version of the influenza A virus H3N2. The mutation could mean increased spread of infection and poorer vaccine protection, says Erik Sturegård, acting state epidemiologist at the Swedish Public Health Agency (FHM).
But it is too early to say that this will be the case.
"It is difficult to say in advance what protection the vaccine will have. We will only know that a little bit into the flu season," says Sturegård.
But it is possible that this virus slips past previous immunity, which could mean that the protection is not as good as hoped.
“Mutating all the time”
Erik Sturegård believes that the British warning in the Swedish context should primarily be seen as a reminder that the flu season is approaching and that people who are considered to be in a risk group should get vaccinated.
Viruses mutate all the time. The fact that we have new outbreaks of influenza every year is because the virus mutates. So it is expected that the virus will gradually change. The UK has reacted to an early start to the season, he says.
Vaccine recommended
The flu season is expected to start in earnest in mid-November.
"If you are young and healthy with cold symptoms, you should think about who you meet, you may not think that it could be influenza. You may not think that you can infect someone in a risk group with an illness that can be serious," says Erik Sturegård.
FHM recommends that people in risk groups, i.e. the elderly, pregnant women and people with underlying diseases, should get vaccinated against seasonal influenza and COVID-19.
