DESPITE reports of a “super flu” spreading in various parts of the world, the Department of Health (DOH) is reassuring Filipinos that the illness is not a cause for alarm, characterizing it as a typical “seasonal infectious disease.”
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa stated in a press conference in Malacañang on Wednesday that while 17 cases of the “super flu” were detected in the Philippines in 2025, all patients have fully recovered.
“It is a self-limiting illness unless mayroon kang medical condition,” Herbosa explained. “[It is] not alarming, but there is a new variant out there.”
Herbosa advised Filipinos traveling to temperate regions such as North America and the UK to be aware of the “super flu’s” presence in those areas.
He recommended, “Get the northern hemisphere vaccine… not the southern hemisphere shot,” clarifying that vaccines are formulated based on the flu variants most likely to spread in specific regions.
In addition to vaccination, the DOH reiterated the importance of standard public health precautions, including covering the mouth when coughing and isolating oneself to prevent the spread of infection.
The DOH also clarified that there was no outbreak or significant increase in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases throughout the country in 2025.
metrosundaily
