DOH urges calm, vaccination amid rising ‘super flu’ cases

National

THE Department of Health (DOH) has reported an uptick in cases of influenza A(H3N2) subclade K, commonly referred to as “super flu,” prompting renewed reminders on vaccination and basic health precautions even as officials stress there is no cause for public alarm.

Latest DOH figures show that as of December 2025, 77 cases of the subclade K variant were detected nationwide.

These were identified from 326 influenza A samples that were successfully sequenced between January and November last year.

In a report by Philstar, health officials said subclade K accounted for the majority of A(H3N2) cases analyzed, making up more than 80 percent of detected infections.

The National Capital Region recorded the highest number with 23 cases, followed by Calabarzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region with 16 cases each.

Despite the increase, the DOH emphasized that most patients have recovered and that no deaths linked to the variant have been reported.

The agency said current data do not indicate a surge in severe illness associated with the strain.

The DOH clarified that so-called “super flu” is not a new disease but a variant of influenza A.

Symptoms remain similar to the common flu, including fever, cough, colds and body aches, though experts note the strain has mutations that warrant closer monitoring.

Health specialists cautioned that the variant can be more aggressive, with the potential to cause serious complications involving the heart or brain in vulnerable patients.

Still, the World Health Organization said its latest risk assessment does not point to increased severity among subclade K cases.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)