Flu vaccines are still worried about it! Maybe we'll do a better job

Each year, before the flu comes himself, to circulate, to start misinformation and misconceptions about the circulation of vaccine against influenza. Some of them contain a grain of truth, but is distorted in the end, like a secret whispered into the phone game.
But if you do not, looking for an excuse vaccine against the flu, which seems to be a persuasive argument on their own in the last year, the number of its effectiveness. Of all the measures flopped against the flu vaccine last season, clocking in at about 23 percent effective in preventing influenza infections laboratory confirmed.
But that's not the whole story, said Lisa Grohskopf, a physician in the Division of Flu Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Twenty-three is better than zero, but 23 percent was complete. If you are one of those who received a strain of influenza B, it was nearly 60 percent," she said. "Even if it does not work well against a virus, there are other viruses in circulation."
Each year, the vaccine against influenza contains three (trivalent) or four (tetravalent) of influenza strains that have elected in February by the World Health Organization by the Food and Drug Administration and supported, as these experts should move in the next flu season. You select a H1N1 strain, an H3N2 strain and one strain of influenza B, or from the Yamagata lineage or Victoria Line. Tetravalent vaccines contain a B strain each line.
"The virus Yamagata-line or in the Victoria Line are quite different that there is not a lot of cross-protection," said Grohskopf. "So if we say that we have a vaccine that contains a virus family Yamagata one season, and it ends up being a predominantly Victoria season, we could not get very good protection against strains of B. "
But sometimes, experts predict is the brand, and sometimes a burden, they mutated choose before the season comes. Last year, the H3N2 strain has chosen it was a bad game, and that the tribe dominated the season, when B viruses were more frequently towards the end, Grohskopf said. Adjustments were in the vaccine against the H3N2 virus this year.
"There are certainly right, hope it'll be better this year, but it is too early to tell," said Grohskopf. "Seasons of the highly variable influenza compared to how fast they move, but now the activity is still pretty easy."
Options vaccines against influenza this year does not change much from last year, with two exceptions. The recombinant vaccine against flu virus product, and without eggs, is now (rather than just those aged 18-49) approved for all adults 18 years. And low dose intradermal vaccine against vaccine that uses a shorter needle in the skin and injects, is now available as a quadrivalent vaccine instead of only trivalent.
CDC not recommend a vaccine over another. "We really just think it's important that people are vaccinated, and depending on where you are, you may not be able to obtain a certain product," said Grohskopf. "We do not want to hunt for something and then not be vaccinated until it is too late and the flu is already high for the season."
Get vaccinated against the flu is particularly important for groups at risk and people in frequent and close contact with these risk groups Grohskopf. The most at risk of serious flu complications include pregnant women population, people aged 50 and over and children under 5 and especially under 2 years old, she said.
Anyone with a chronic illness such as lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or a neurological condition also has a higher risk of serious complications from influenza infection. The most vulnerable to infection People are parents of young children, day care workers, teachers, caregivers and elderly people. In health care
But the problem with limiting influenza vaccination for these groups, she said, is that the flu bug is a tough - and unpredictable.
"While some people are definitely at a higher risk of severe illness if they get the flu even normally healthy, young - older children, young adults, most people are strong, when no other chronic diseases - can get really sick hospital, and even die, and we can not really predict who will be these people, "said Grohskopf" The majority of people who go the really ugly flu for a while and then recover without any. problem. "But even these people lose work time and the risk of the spread of the disease to family members and others, she said.
Another key to this year's additional evidence, reported that stat vaccinated against influenza every year could reduce its effectiveness in warding off the flu. This evidence is not entirely new, and scientists still do not understand, but that does not mean jumping vaccinated against influenza this year is advised if you got last year.
Meanwhile, for those who do not receive the vaccine this year, make sure it is not because one of the concerns below. As described in compounds, each of these misconceptions is based on inaccurate information, a misunderstanding or exaggeration.