Overview
- UK health officials attribute a sharp rise in cases to H3N2 Subclade K, with test positivity at 17.1% and an average of 1,717 daily hospitalizations including 69 in intensive care.
- Schools report high absenteeism and temporary closures, such as St Martin’s in Caerphilly and large outbreaks in Leeds, as authorities urge masks when symptomatic and continued vaccination.
- The Robert Koch Institute confirms Germany’s flu wave began two to three weeks earlier than recent seasons, with the start set in week 48 and reports of roughly 7.2 million people off sick.
- German regions note heavier demand without systemic overload, with NRW GPs reporting fuller waiting rooms and Chemnitz logging 160 cases by week 50 and offering an extra walk‑in vaccination clinic on December 18.
- STIKO is urgently evaluating broader vaccination guidance as DIVI cites severe pediatric burdens last season, while clinicians emphasize that vaccination still offers timely protection with immunity developing in 10–14 days.