The flu epidemic has taken a toll on the United States and as of today, 45 have already died from several states. The flu vaccine that has been promised to protect the body is barely working this year.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the current flu vaccine can reduce the risk of serious disease by only 23%. Nevertheless, they are still recommending that everyone should get the vaccine. This is because even though it might not perfectly work on the strain of flu that is circulating now, it can work on other strains that might show up any time soon.
"Right now, the effectiveness is not as good as we normally see with influenza. We want people to know that so they know to call their doctor for antivirals if they are sick," says CDC's Dr. Joe Bresee.
According to CDC, the flu vaccine keeps people from getting sick and protects those who may be more vulnerable to having serious complications from flu. People who are at higher risk to developing complications from flu are older adults (65 years old and above), those with underlying medical conditions and children who are younger than 6 months old.
They also issued a warning that the flu vaccine might not work this year. When pharmaceutical companies have already created the vaccine for year 2014 and 2015, a new mutated strain of H3N2 circulated in many states in the United States. Flu vaccines would take months to make and it was too late to change the formula. Hence, last fall, the flu epidemic started.
Health officials are recommending taking antiviral drugs that can help people recover faster. Another medicine often used is Tamiflu in the alleviation of flu symptoms.
"We think so, especially when flu is peaking in a community, the chance that a person who calls in and says I have flulike symptoms actually has flu is probably high - well over 50 percent. You will treat some people unnecessarily but you'll get a lot right," Bresee said.
