NEW YORK — The U.S. flu season is starting slowly, and it's unclear if it will be as bad as last winter's , but some health experts are worried as U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted last Friday shows a new version of the virus has emerged.

An early analysis suggests current vaccines may still be somewhat effective against the new version of the flu, which has been the main driver of recent infections, CDC data shows.

Some scientists and medical professionals are more worried about disappointing vaccination rates, a main reason why flu hospitalizations and deaths were unusually bad during last year's flu season — one of the deadliest this century.

“I think we’re going to see a really severe season," said Asefeh Faraz Covelli of the George Washington University

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