The flu vaccine this year was only 16% effective in reducing the risk of mild to moderate influenza virus infection, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A satisfactory percentage would be at least 50%, according to experts.
The low efficiency came from a data study of more than 3,600 people in seven US states, according to the New York Times. “The vaccine is not ineffective, but it is certainly less than desirable,” said Dr. Jesse Goodman, a former chief scientist at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “The next pandemic could be a flu pandemic, so we need better vaccines,” he said.
Nevertheless, the CDC continues to advise on influenza vaccination, arguing that it can “prevent serious outcomes.” He also said that during this winter the flu cases decreased in December and January, during the new wave of the Omicron variant of the pandemic, but they increased in the beginning of February.
Each year, scientists decide whether to adjust the composition of the flu vaccine to better protect against the strains of the flu virus that are predicted to dominate. This year ‘s low vaccine efficacy indicates, according to Goodman, that “there was a mismatch between the virus strains in the vaccine and those circulating.”
This year’s flu vaccine has been revamped to offer protection against four flu viruses, including H3N2, which proved to be the dominant strain this year, according to the CDC (the same strain was prevalent during 2017-18). Vaccine efficacy varies widely from year to year and, according to the CDC, ranged from 60% in 2010-11 to only 10% in 2004.
The population groups most at risk of influenza, which affects the respiratory system and has several common symptoms with Covid-19, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, etc., are those over 65, immunocompromised and children under five years.
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