The Flu Vaccine Appears To Be A Very Excellent Match For The Current Strains

Dec, 2022 - By SMI

The flu vaccine this year seems to be "a very good match" to the prevalent viruses, according to the U.S. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated at a news conference on Monday.

According to CDC data, up until the end of October, fewer pregnant women received immunizations than at the same time in 2021, despite this group being more susceptible to developing severe influenza-related illness.

Seniors, the age group most likely to be hospitalised for influenza, had vaccination rates that were roughly three percentage points lower than in October 2021.

According to Walensky, the number of youngsters receiving flu vaccinations has decreased by around 5% since the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 60% of adult Americans in the United States receive an influenza vaccination each year.

In the United States, flu season has begun early and severely, with hospitalisation rates reaching levels that are generally not seen until December or January.

The good news is that it appears to be a very good match, according to Walensky, of the early start to the respiratory virus season.

She stated that although the findings are positive, the CDC would have more conclusive information later in the season.

Even when the vaccination does not precisely match the prevalent flu strains, hospitalisation rates drop by 35%, according to Walensky. This just serves to highlight how much more effective the vaccine will be when it does.

According to CDC data, the week of Thanksgiving saw roughly 20,000 hospital admissions for flu in the United States, which is almost twice as many as the week before.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have also increased, rising 27% in the week following Thanksgiving. But other viruses are now stressing hospitals in addition to COVID-19.

Only 5% of Americans are thought to reside in communities with high COVID-19 community levels.