An analysis performed by the U.S. government of the flu vaccine for this season suggests it only was effective in just over 56% of the people who received it. The analysis also said the vaccine failed largely to protect elderly people against a very deadly strain of flu that has circulated during this flu season.
The findings, said the U.S. Center for Disease and Control underscore the necessity for addition effective weapons against influenza, which has killed between 3,000 and 5,000 each year in the U.S. depending upon the flu season’s severity.
Dr. Thomas Frieden the CDC director said a better vaccine is needed, one that works better and is longer lasting. Most experts estimate the flu vaccine’s effectiveness to be somewhere between 50 and 70%, but the current vaccine seems to have dropped to the low side of that estimated range.
The benefits of the vaccine against the influenza B strain remained consistent across all age groups. However, for the influenza A strain that was not true. The vaccine protected between 46% and 58% of those 6 months old to 64 years of age, but just 9% of those who were 65 years of age and older.
The results were based on the study of nearly 2,700 adults and children that participated in an Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness program from December 3 to January 19.
