Man sick with flu (illustrative)
Man sick with flu (illustrative)iStock

Statistics from Earth's southern hemisphere are showing that its northern hemisphere is in for a tough winter, Israel Hayom reported.

Statistics from Australia's Health Ministry are showing that flu season began early relative to previous years, and that the flu is more active than usual as well. However, the severity of the flu is not especially high, the report said.

According to the statistics, the peak flu season came two months earlier than average, and the number of people infected (validated via lab tests) is the highest it has been for the five winters preceding it, excepting 2017.

Reports also show that one of the strains of flu has undergone changes, so that it is no longer included in the vaccine, which is prepared several months in advance, Israel Hayom noted.

A report from Israel's Health Ministry showed that during this past winter, flu vaccinations "missed" the main strain of flu affecting Israel's citizens.

The main strain of influenza, which infected 76% of flu patients, was N3H2. This strain was in fact included in the annual influenza vaccine, but in 70% of cases it had undergone changes so that the vaccine did not protect against it anymore. A type of swine flu, which was included in the vaccine, had also undergone changes and is no longer protected against.