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do you know about flu shots?? LITTLE ANGEL2CF?
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NBC's Robert Bazelll reports. Nightly News INTERACTIVE Weekly influenza estimates Who’s got the flu state-by-state Related stories What’s this? Still time for your flu shot Flu Cases On The Increase Flu season in full swing Nationwide flu outbreak affecting Massachusetts State health department reporting lower number of flu cases so far Most popular • Most viewed • Top rated • Most e-mailed Bride dies during first dance with husband Clinton's campaign manager steps down Obama takes lead in Maine caucuses FAQ: How does the election system work? Obama wins big in Wash., Nebraska, La. Most viewed on msnbc.com Australia, Japan clash over dead whale photos In a hurry to get your refund? Beware Administration's mercury policy ruled illegal Harry Landis, one of last U.S. WWI vets, dies Key to fusion power may be found in space Most viewed on msnbc.com Bride dies during first dance with husband Clinton's campaign manager steps down 10 years for Army sniper for killing Iraqi civilian Cheers! Stupid beer laws falling off 5 smart sites to put $50 in your pocket — fast Most viewed on msnbc.com updated 6:34 p.m. CT, Fri., Feb. 8, 2008 WASHINGTON - The influenza vaccine given to Americans may not protect as well as expected, U.S. health officials said on Friday as the number of flu cases increased nationwide. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said slightly more than half of the influenza virus strains reported to its surveillance system are not good matches against the strains included in this flu season’s vaccine. The number of states reporting widespread flu activity jumped to 31 this week compared with 11 a week ago, the CDC said. But Dr. Joe Bresee of the CDC’s influenza division said there are no indications this flu season is worse than usual. Story continues below ↓ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- advertisement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Seasonal flu activity was slow to start this year but has increased sharply in recent weeks,” Bresee told reporters. One measure officials use to gauge the severity of the season is the number of flu-related child deaths. Bresee said the CDC has heard of six U.S. children who have died from the flu, a relatively low number compared with recent years. Flu viruses mutate and change all the time, so every year a different vaccine is created as officials predict which particular strains will circulate. The vaccine is designed to protect against three influenza strains — two from Type A, an H1N1 and an H3N2 version, and one for Type B. Bresee said about 30 percent of the overall strains of influenza in the United States may be a Type A strain that emerged in Australia called H3N2 A/Brisbane. It emerged too late to be included in the flu vaccine offered in the United States beginning in September and October. The Type B strain chosen for this year’s vaccine also was not a good match for most of the B virus strains seen in the United States this flu season, Bresee said. “While a less-than-ideal virus match between the viruses in the vaccine and those circulating viruses can reduce vaccine effectiveness, we know from past influenza studies that the vaccine can still protect enough to make illness milder or prevent flu-related complications,” Bresee said. Click for related content Flu season in full swing Flu in U.S., Canada shows drug resistance Under-the-tongue vaccine could help lick the flu Bresee noted that decisions on the composition of the annual vaccine are made about nine months before it is made available to the public in the fall, and it is sometimes hard to know that far in advance which strains will circulate. Flu vaccines take months to make. Bresee also said some resistance is being reported to the antiviral drug Tamiflu, made by Switzerland’s Roche Holding AG and Gilead Sciences Inc of the United States. Of the viruses tested in CDC flu labs, 4.5 percent are resistant to the drug, Bresee said. Influenza kills an estimated 36,000 Americans in an average year, and puts 200,000 into the hospital, the CDC said. Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions. 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Public Comments
- sometimes taking a flu shots give you the flu anyhow because of the pain and the liquid that is inside of it cause some people body's don't like the feel of pain that they get sick from it so i personally don't take any flu shots although they say that it is good and i don't take any for the simple fact that i know i will get sick just by the shot alone
