The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) issue apress releaseon Thursday about some of the preliminary data of the 2014 - 2015 flu season . There is a luck that this grippe season could be severe , particularly for the elderly , children under five , meaning women , or those with medical weather condition that put them atincreased riskfor experiencing complication .
This season is face challenges due to the fact that strain of influenza A H3N2 seem to be most common . These mental strain have the potential to induce severe illness , and were also the most coarse during the three most virulent age of the last decennary . intensify the job , these strains are also more likely to “ purport ” and evolve slenderly different properties than what are target by the seasonal grippe vaccine . This come out to be the slip for some of the earlier confirmed flu cases of the time of year , cue the CDC to say that for those that come in inter-group communication with a drifted mental strain , the vaccine ’s efficacy may be reduced . This does pass sometimes , but those who had receive the flu shot are still declare oneself some shelter against the drifted strain .
Of naturally , that ’s not the scenario that has played out in many media outlets . Natural News , the aureate standard for science reverence huckster and propaganda , twisted the CDC ’s announcement bywriting on Facebook : “ Really ? CDC issues flu vaccine apology : this class ’s vaccinum does n’t work ! ” Other website featured similar titles , claiming that the CDC called the seasonal grippe vaccinum as ineffective . That ’s just not true .
The flu vaccine is developed months onwards of the flu season , so as to have time to manufacture enough units for as many people as possible . This ask that scientists foretell which three or four stress will be most usual . The World Health Organization made its recommendation for the strains to target with the vaccine in the middle of February . The drifted H3N2 virus was break at the close of March , but at the prison term , it was in such diminished numbers that it was n’t believed to be of much fear .
“ It ’s too early to say for certain that this will be a severe flu season , but Americans should be prepared , ” CDC conductor Tom Frieden explicate in thepress release . “ We can preserve lives with a three - branched effort to fight the flu : vaccination , prompt treatment for people at high risk of complication , and preventive wellness measures , such as staying home when you ’re sick , to come down flu spread . ”
Even if H3N2 has drifted and the vaccine does not provide maximum tribute against that particular strain , it may still be able to subside the severeness of the malady . to boot , the vaccine also protects against other strains that a patient may receive , so wellness officials are still recommending the flu shot to anyone who has not yet received it .
For those dwell in the Northern Hemisphere , flu season lasts rough from October to March . Flu cases start to pick up during December , and typically flower in February . The CDC provides amap of the United Statesthat is updated weekly , identifying the bed covering of the sickness in each state .
If you have n’t fetch your flu shot yet , please do so . Not everyone is goodly enough to pick up the vaccinum to protect themselves , so it is up to everyone to work together to derogate the spread of this potentially fatal disease .
