Alarming headlines and media coverage are saying we’ve already had 100 times as many influenza cases in the first two months of 2023 as we had at the same time last year.

The coverage has suggested we’re in for a bumper flu season, starting early, and that your best protection is to get a flu vaccine, when available.

But that scary sounding “100 times” figure is misleading.

Here’s what’s behind the figures and what we can really expect from the 2023 flu season.