In this first-ever Refill episode of Medical Media Mixer, we revisit our original episode, “The Americano,” with fresh context from the current 2025–2026 flu season. We break down what’s driving this year’s influenza trends — including the rise of the Influenza A(H3N2) subclade K variant — what it means for vaccine effectiveness, who is most at risk, and why global flu patterns matter for U.S. health systems. It’s the same episode, the same drink — but with updated information to help you make sense of what’s happening now.

• Why Influenza A(H3N2) — specifically the subclade K variant — is dominating this season
• What mutation changes mean for vaccine match and protection
• How effective this year’s vaccine appears to be so far
• Why pediatric, elderly, and high-risk populations deserve special attention
• What global flu trends (Japan, the UK, Australia, Europe) can tell us about what’s coming next

Flu season is one of the clearest examples of how medicine, media, public perception, and health systems intersect in real time. Revisiting our first episode through the lens of the current season shows how infectious disease isn’t static — and why updated context is just as important as the original story.

• Schweitzer K. A New H3N2 Influenza Strain Is Raising Concerns About This Flu Season. JAMA. 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.25205
• Zambon M, Hayden FG. Influenza A(H3N2) Subclade K Virus. JAMA. 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.25903
• Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2025–2026: Technical Report. Pediatrics. 2025. doi:10.1542/peds.2025-073622
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). FluView and U.S. Influenza Surveillance Data, 2025–2026 season (preliminary estimates)

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