A fast-spreading wave of H3N2 influenza has left hospitals across Iran under pressure, with more than 100 deaths reported since mid-November – most involving unvaccinated patients, health authorities said on Thursday.
The current strain shows unusual transmissibility and reduced vaccine effectiveness, driving a surge in clinic visits, health ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said. He noted that elderly people, those with underlying conditions and several children were among the dead. Officials expect the wave to continue into January.
Schools shut as infections climb
Rapid spread among students prompted school closures in late November across several provinces. Authorities in Isfahan said the move was driven by rising infections rather than air pollution.
Concern grew further on December 4 after the confirmed death of a 26-year-old man with no pre-existing conditions. He developed 70-percent lung involvement and acute respiratory distress syndrome within 24 hours. Health officials in the southern Hormozgan province described the case as evidence of “intense viral circulation” and aggressive disease even in low-risk groups.
Authorities in the central Yazd province have reported 1,138 positive tests and 13 deaths, mostly among older adults and vulnerable patients.
Pollution amplifies the crisis
The outbreak coincides with severe air pollution in major cities. Specialists say pollutants such as PM2.5 weaken the lungs and suppress immune responses, making people “far more vulnerable” to influenza. Global studies show dirty air can increase hospitalization and mortality from flu by 15 to 30 percent.
Infectious-disease expert Minoo Mohraz warned that influenza is “gradually becoming a pandemic” and could worsen death rates, adding that air pollution has “no immediate solution except staying indoors as much as possible.”
Daily burials in Tehran’s main cemetery have risen from 180 to about 220, Mehdi Babaei of Tehran’s city council said, linking the increase to soaring pollution levels.
