​2014 -2015 Flu Shots: May have Reduced Effectiveness But Still Provides Protection


The flu season has
started to pick up and there is concern that the 2014- 2015 flu shot may not be
as effective as they had originally thought.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised clinicians on
December 3rd that the major circulating strain this year has in fact
mutated to the point that the shots are providing reduced protection. Results from testing performed on positive
samples from October 1 through November 22, 2014 revealed that 48% were
antigenically like the 2014-2015 influenza A (H3N2) vaccine, but 52% were found to be different than this
year’s shot.
However, with that being said that does NOT mean the flu shot
is not worth getting as it still has been found to provide some protection against
drifted viruses and even though reduced, this cross-protection might reduce the likelihood of severe outcomes such
hospitalization and death
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