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Rhodina Villanueva - The Philippine Star
January 13, 2026 | 12:00am
Face mask-clad pedestrians cross a road in Manila on September 12, 2022.
AFP / Ted Aljibe
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded an increase in super flu cases in the country.
Latest DOH data showed that as of December 2025, 77 cases of influenza A(H3N2) subclade K, also referred to as super flu, were detected nationwide.
These cases were among the 326 cumulative influenza A infections that were successfully sequenced from January to November 2025.
“Among the 92 A(H3N2) cases, subclade K was mostly detected, accounting for 77 (83.70 percent),” the DOH noted.
The regions with the highest number of subclade K cases were the National Capital Region with 23 cases, followed by Calabarzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region, each with 16 cases.
The DOH said the increase is not a cause for alarm, noting that most patients infected with subclade K have recovered and that no deaths were reported.
It added that super flu is a variant of influenza A and not a new disease, with symptoms similar to those of the common flu, including cough, colds, fever and body aches.
Health experts, however, warned that this super flu is more aggressive due to mutations that can lead to mortality, including complications affecting the heart and brain.
According to the World Health Organization’s Risk Assessment, as of Dec. 10, 2025, current epidemiological data do not suggest an increase in disease severity among subclade K cases.
It emphasized that vaccination remains effective in protecting against severe illness and preventing hospitalization.
Infectious disease expert Rontgene Solante urged the public to avail themselves of updated flu vaccines to improve protection against the super flu.
He advised vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly and those with comorbidities, to get vaccinated once the updated flu vaccine becomes available by February or March.
“We also encourage everyone to protect themselves by wearing face masks when in high-risk areas,” Solante added.
