What makes this flu season so bad

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A dangerous strain paired with less effective vaccines has created a dangerous recipe for illness

(Sarah Gibbens/ National Geographic) — A person, commuting to work on a packed bus, coughs. If they’re infected with the flu virus, these symptoms could be a recipe for disaster.

Imperceptible to the human eye, the flu virus is one of the most pervasive and persistent on the planet. It mates and spreads in the air. One strain is capable of circumventing the globe in a matter of months.

A recently published Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report confirmed what hospitals around the U.S. already know—2017/2018 is a bad year for the flu.

Out of every 100,000 hospitalizations in the U.S., 22.7 were for the flu in the first week in January. According to the CDC, the number had doubled from the week before. During the severe flu season that ended in 2015, rates of hospitalizations reached 29.9 for every 100,000.

During a recent January 12 call with reporters, CDC doctor and director of the influenza division Dan Jernigan noted that the flu was widespread across the continental U.S. In the U.K., flu cases have skyrocketed. It follows a similar pattern seen in Australia during their flu season.

National Geographic spoke with three experts about why this year’s flu season is unique. Below, we share their responses. (…)

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