According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this year’s flu vaccine has proven to be 48 percent effective in preventing the illness. They feel they have good results and they said it is not too late for people to get the shot.
48 percent effectiveness might not seem like a lot. However, the CDC explains that it is a good year when the flu vaccine is 60 percent effective, and even 50 percent is not bad. Therefore, according to health officials, the flu vaccine is working just fine this season.
“There is still time to go out and get it. It’s better to be protected and have 50 percent less chance of getting sick from the flu than to be completely vulnerable to the flu,” said Jessica Rigler from the Arizona Heath Department.
Arizona’s flu cases have been cut by half this year
The flu season is not over yet, but it appears that the flu vaccine has been working quite alright. According to US health officials, the vaccine has been a great help in preventing the illness.
Rigler said it is still a good idea to go and get the shot. Moreover, though 48 percent might not seem like a lot of protection against the flu, they assure that it is a good number. Plus, it is better to have half the chance of getting the flu than not having any protection at all.
Scientists change the flu vaccine on a yearly basis. To do so, they consider which pathogens could be the biggest problems for the particular season. According to health officials, they have guessed right with this year’s vaccine.
There have been more than 3000 confirmed cases of Flu in Arizona, according to Rigler. Tough, it might seem like a lot of cases, Rigler assures that many cases have been halved his year.
Idaho’s flu cases on the rise
Idaho, on the other hand, has identified an increase in the cases of flu this year. State health officials are urging residents to get the vaccine as soon as possible and to take other precautions to avoid the flu. According to Dr. Leslie Tengelsen, Idaho’s state flu surveillance coordinator, there have been 47-flu related deaths so far this season. Because of that, this has become the worst flu season in Idaho since 2000’s.
Tengelsen said as well, that it is not too late to get vaccinated, and that getting the shot is the best protection against the illness, especially because half of the flu season is yet to come.
Most people recover from influenza within a few days, but it can also lead to severe complications. The most affected ones are the children under 5, adults of 65 or older, people with a particular medical condition, and pregnant women. About 36,000 people in the United States die each year from flu-related causes. Also, 200,000 are hospitalized for the same reasons.
Source: KJZZ