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Rosa DeLauro received her flu shot and Covid vaccine at Fair Haven Community Health Care on October 5, 2023. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror

No.

A new influenza A(H3N2) virus strain renamed “H3N2 subclade K,” which is circulating widely today, was identified by health organizations months after the seasonal influenza vaccine was developed.

The World Health Organization selected the components for the northern hemisphere influenza vaccine between February and March of this year. Since August, there has been a rapid increase of A(H3N2) subclade K.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that even if the current vaccine does not match the flu virus mutation that is currently being spread — the “K” variant — vaccination continues to protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death, as well as offering protection against other influenza viruses and help reduce the overall community spread.

Connecticut Public Health confirmed a Hartford County resident died from influenza the week of Oct. 25.

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Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts 'La Chismesita,' a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.