Ian Barr, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza
Headlines about this year’s flu season have been alarming. It’s true, we are having a serious season – but the data doesn’t indicate it’s the worst one we’ve ever had.
The flu vaccine is built on the strains expected to circulate in a given year. While the majority of strains circulating this year are matched in the vaccine, there’s one strain we didn’t predict.
The 2018-2019 flu season was less deadly than the last. But the pattern of infection was unusual, thanks to the various strains circulating and the way flu shots work over time.
Ian Barr, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza
Protection wanes after four or five months, so for most people, it makes sense to get a flu shot in mid to late May or early June so you’re protected when the flu season peaks in August or September.
Vaccination rates for children in some parts of California are down, despite a law that narrowed exemptions. Here’s a look at why people refuse to listen to evidence when it comes to the flu vaccine.
The most effective way to improve flu vaccination rates among health workers in high-risk clinical areas and aged care facilities is to make it mandatory.
Kanta Subbarao, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
While not perfect, the seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to protect against influenza. There are a few changes to the flu vaccine and what is available this year. Here’s what you need to know.
The flu vaccine isn’t perfect but it’s the best way to protect against these potentially harmful viruses. Most children aged six months to five years are eligible for a free vaccine in 2018.
The 1918 flu pandemic has long puzzled those who study disease outbreaks. Why was it so severe? While that question is hard to answer, one thing is certain: Vaccines would have lessened the toll.
Two free flu vaccines will improve protection for the over-65s. FluZone High Dose is a high-dose version; Fluad adds an additional ingredient to boost effectiveness. But neither is perfect.
Flu virus mutates so quickly that one year’s vaccine won’t work on the next year’s common strains. But rational design – a new way to create vaccines – might pave the way for more lasting solutions.