Influenza cases have been surging across Japan since late October, constituting an early spike that has sparked public health concerns.
The latest data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare show the number of influenza cases has surpassed the alert level in multiple regions.
Outbreaks of influenza virus usually occur around the end of November. This year, the increase in people being treated for flu started five weeks earlier than usual.
Health authorities have kicked off mass vaccination to curb the spread of the influenza virus, and members of the public have embraced the drive.
"This year's flu season did begin a bit early, with cases surging since November. My two children and my wife have all been infected with Influenza A. But they have been vaccinated, so the symptoms are mild," said a resident.
"I think this flu season started early. Vaccination is already underway, which I think is also earlier than previous years," said another resident.
The outbreak has promoted heated discussions among the country's social media users, with some attributing the early start of the flu season to fluctuating temperatures.
"A lot of people are discussing influenza A on the internet. Apart from the flu, I think many are also feeling uncomfortable for other reasons. The temperature difference has been quite large. I think it might be one of the reasons," said another resident.
Flu cases surge early in Japan, sparking public health concerns
