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H3N2 Leads Russia’s Flu Season as WHO Monitors Fast‑Spreading J.2.4.1

Health authorities describe a seasonal rise with mostly mild illness, with hospitalization rates remaining low.

Overview

  • - Rospotrebnadzor reports 99.5% of confirmed flu cases are mild or moderate, with 1.7–1.8% of patients hospitalized and weekly growth slowing by about one third.
  • - WHO confirms H3N2 as the dominant subtype in Russia and says current data show no increase in disease severity, with vaccines expected to protect against severe outcomes.
  • - The J.2.4.1 sublineage of H3N2, first noted in August in Australia and New Zealand, has been detected in more than 30 countries, prompting continued surveillance.
  • - Regional patterns vary: higher H3N2 detection in the Far East and Siberia, Amur reports declines, Magadan growth, Yakutia above threshold, Buryatia elevated, St. Petersburg up 30% week over week without threshold exceedance.
  • - Moscow region officials refute claims of a local epidemic, citing levels well below thresholds and vaccination above 62%, while national experts expect cases to rise over the next several weeks with a likely peak in January–February 2026.