Srinagar- When the nurse at a private hospital in Srinagar asked the parents of an 11-month-old baby whether they preferred a trivalent or tetravalent flu shot, they froze.

“We weren't sure what they were going to give, so we just left without getting the vaccine,” the parents said.

They aren't alone. Another parent of a two-year-old shared similar hesitation:“Why should I get the vaccine when my child still caught the flu last year? I'm still not clear how long the immunity lasts,” the concerned mother said.

With a spike in flu cases across Kashmir, doctors are once again urging vaccination - but confusion over which flu shot to choose and how effective it really is has left many families uncertain. To clear the air, Kashmir Observer spoke with Dr. Suhail Naik, a leading paediatrician and Assistant Professor at Children's hospital, Srinagar.

What types of flu viruses are circulating in Kashmir this season?

Typically, both Influenza A (H3N2) and Influenza B strains circulate during the flu season. To determine which strain is dominant, we need frequent testing, serotyping, and detailed data analysis.“Clinically, there's a noticeable rise in flu-like illnesses, but the situation is not alarming,” he said.

Compared to last year, the flu season started a little earlier that is around October but the severity of illness remains similar.“There has been a surge in outpatient cases, but no major increase in hospital admissions or severe cases, indicating that the disease is not more dangerous this year. The number of cases mainly reflects how widely the virus is spreading, not how severe it is,” he said.

Who is most affected?

· The most vulnerable groups include:

· Children under five years,

· Elderly people,

· Those with chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer

· Healthcare workers, who are at high exposure risk.

“But that doesn't mean healthy people are immune,” Dr. Naik pointed out.“Anyone can get infected.”

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