December 10, 2025

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Doctors are alarmed by the flu season’s early arrival in Toronto — which is hitting children the hardest

H3N2, a mutated from of the influenza virus, is being blamed as emergency rooms are getting crowded with kids.

It’s an annual misery. The deluge of sick, feverish kids arriving at ERs across Toronto. Only this year, influenza season has come earlier — and it’s nastier.

Children are flooding Toronto hospitals, pediatricians across the city are concerned about crowded emergency departments and experts say this is all likely being driven by a mutated form of the virus.

Dr. Kim Zhou, chief of pediatrics at North York General hospital, is pointing the finger at H3N2, a new mutated strain of Influenza A, as a possible cause. The strain tends to cause more severe infections and has been called a possible “mismatch” for this year’s flu vaccine, though doctors say it would still provide protection against the mutation.

Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 4, North York General said there were 652 emergency department visits for patients under 18.

The hospital is currently seeing 120 to 140 per cent of capacity within its pediatric unit, which is unusual for this time of year.

Zhou said she’s been seeing most children come in with “really high fevers, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration.”

“I don’t think we understand yet why the flu season is hitting a bit earlier this year but we do know that the particular strain of Influenza A we’re seeing, H3N2, does affect young children and the elderly more.”

Doctors begin to see the Influenza B virus, which leads to severe infections in children whereas Influenza A is more severe in adults, spread in January, Zhou said, which might lead to a “challenging year for flu in pediatrics.”

“We’re certainly concerned if this continues to increase at the rate it’s currently rising.”

Dr. Michelle Murti, the medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health, said Toronto is “about a month ahead, maybe more” in flu activity this year compared to 2024.

Murti said children under five are accounting for higher rates of flu hospitalizations than adults over 80, with both groups being vulnerable. When patients age five to 19 test for influenza, they’re “almost 50 per cent positive.”

“If they’re sick, it’s very likely that they are ill with the flu just because of how much more they’re getting affected” by it.

Sarah Warr, a spokesperson for The Hospital for Sick Children, said it is seeing more “positive flu tests” this year compared to the same period in 2024, with this season starting earlier.

This rise also contributed to an increase in emergency department visits, which grew by 50 per cent in the past two weeks. 

“Patients and families with non-emergent medical issues should expect longer than usual wait times,” she said in a statement to the Star.

This trend is not limited to Toronto. Last week, CHEO, a children’s hospital based in Ottawa, said it saw a “concerning rise” in flu cases and hospitalizations.

“Hospitals are really busy already for other reasons so anything we can be doing now to help protect people heading into that holiday season is really important,” Murti said, urging people to get vaccinated as early as possible.

On Dec. 5, Toronto Public Health issued a notice to physicians to “expedite flu vaccination for their patients this week,” due to increases in influenza activity, as per the chief medical officer of health of Ontario.

Dr. Jeff Powis, head of infectious diseases at Michael Garron Hospital, is also seeing an influx of children coming in with the flu. “We saw record numbers of young people presenting” to the ER.

Powis is expecting to see a rough year for the flu, with the addition of the H3N2 strain, and numbers “well above” the peak number of cases in previous flu seasons. “The vaccine isn’t quite as effective covering this strain as we would have hoped it to be.”

Prevention measures will be the “same advice” doctors gave during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, including practising proper hand hygiene and avoiding illness exposures.

“It’s going to be a busy flu season and we’re preparing for that.”