Flu jab is not a 'waste of time'

“Flu jab given to millions is 'useless',” and "Flu jab is a waste of time," are the irresponsible headlines in The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail. While recent research shows that the current seasonal flu vaccine only has 3% protection against the main circulating strain – A(H3N2) – in adults, it can still protect against other strains. Both papers also ignore the fact that another version of the flu vaccine, in the form of a nasal spray designed for vulnerable children, is also available. Discouraging parents of vulnerable children from getting vaccinated could increase the risk of serious childhood illnesses and possible hospitalisation.   Why is the flu vaccine not working? There are many strains of the influenza virus and each one can mutate. It takes time to develop and produce vaccines against them. Global surveillance is used to predict which strains are likely to be circulating the following winter, and in February the World Health Organization (WHO) announces which strains the flu vaccine should cover. Last year, it decided to cover three flu varieties: Influenza A (H1N1), also known as “swine flu" Influenza A (H3N2) Influenza B In March, the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System detected a new strain of influenza A (H3N2), but this was too late to change the production of the vaccine. It was also not known whether this particular strain would be the predominant strain this winter, which it has been, ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Heart/lungs QA articles Source Type: news