The Department of Health (DOH) said the so-called “super flu” recently detected in the Philippines is not a cause for alarm, even as authorities monitor a new flu variant.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said all 17 “super flu” cases detected around July last year have already recovered.
“(It is) not alarming but there is a new variant out there,” he said, noting that flu is generally a self-limiting illness, though vaccination is still advised for the elderly and those with medical conditions.
Herbosa urged Filipinos traveling to temperate and colder countries, particularly North America and the UK, to get vaccinated. He recommended the northern hemisphere flu vaccine for those visiting winter regions where the variant is spreading.
Reports said the “super flu,” officially identified as subclade K, is a variant of the H3N2 virus, a subtype of Influenza A known to cause seasonal flu outbreaks and significant illness in several countries.IMT
