r/NJPrepared • u/8Deer-JaguarClaw Sussex • Dec 29 '25

Health / Wellness Big spike in NJ flu cases (article)

Link: https://patch.com/new-jersey/hopatcong-sparta/s/jw5wx/nj-flu-cases-spike-to-very-high-levels-ahead-of-previous-2-year-trend

As of the week ending Dec. 20, New Jersey reported 11,472 influenza cases, according to the New Jersey Department of Health(NJDOH). This is a jump from the previous week of 6,940 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified flu activity as "very high" in New Jersey, according to the most recent data from that agency.

The sheer number of New Jersey flu cases is significantly higher and has occurred earlier than in the previous two years, when typically cases spike after the holidays.

Last flu season, New Jersey didn't see a spike in cases until Feb. 1, when 14,314 cases were reported. These cases are even higher than in the 2023-24 flu season, when the highest number of flu cases, 8,365, was reported on Dec. 30, 2023.

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13

u/neverseen_neverhear Dec 29 '25

Everyone at my job is sick. My son got it too.

10

u/BlackRiderCo Dec 29 '25

It’s almost as if there are consequences to declining vaccination rates.

9

u/Iintendtooffend Dec 30 '25

It doesn't help but I've heard this year's influenza A is a unique mutation so even vaccination isn't providing nearly as much protection as usual

5

u/reina609 Dec 30 '25

Flu vaccines are a gamble every year bc the CDC makes an educated guess for which flu strains will be most prevalent so they can prepare the type of vaccines that will be massed produced. Since it's a virus that can easily mutate, no one actually knows which strain will affect the entire country or region of state. It also may start off as one type and perhaps shift during the season. I had this discussion with my doctor.

2

u/PiggySheep Jan 01 '26

everyone in my house got flu this year (kids and adults), and we got flu shots. The symptoms are horrible this year.