Bracing for the worst flu season on record

This year, 2017, is braced to historically be the worst flu season ever recorded, according to the Nation Health Service (NHS). Doctors and hospitals may struggle to cope with the increase in demand, following the spike of influenza cases from Australia and New Zealand, who have recently come out of their winter season.

With three classified types of influenza, A, B, and C, it is A and B viruses which cause the large outbreaks. In Europe, nearly all seasonal flu is attributed to influenza A. This year there have been over 170,000 influenza cases, nearly three times the amount compared to last year. Vaccination is an important part of protecting against the flu, especially with the record high amount of cases already reported this season. Research is also now suggesting that being in a positive mood, as well as genetics, can increase the effectiveness of the flu vaccination.

Hover over each icon below to learn more about influenza.

Featured image credit: Sneeze by Mojpe. CC0 public domain via Pixabay.

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