(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, the flu shot wasn’t expected to be ideal this year, due to a newer H3N2 strain. But new studies show it’s working better than expected.
Right now, flu activity is very high. We’re seeing more people coming in with cough, fever, and sore throat than we have in nearly 30 years.
But there’s some encouraging news. Even though this year’s flu shot isn’t a perfect match, early studies show the vaccine is still producing a strong antibody response.
Now, the flu shot covers three strains this season: H1N1, H3N2, and one B strain. The newer H3N2 strain, called subclade K, wasn’t included in the vaccine because it emerged after production began. Researchers at the Penn Centers of Excellence tested blood samples before vaccination and again about a month later. And here’s what they found: protection against the H3N2 strain jumped from 39 percent to 71 percent after the shot. For subclade K, antibodies increased from 11 percent to 39 percent.
That tells us the flu shot doesn’t have to be perfect to be helpful. It still trains your immune system to recognize parts of the virus that don’t change.
So vaccination still matters, but is it effective for all ages? And what about children in particular?
According to the research, results were consistent across all adult participants, who were between the ages of 24 and 81.
Now, kids were not included in that research. But data from the United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency did include younger children. Researchers looked at nearly 8,000 emergency room visits and hospitalizations and found this season’s flu shot reduced hospitalizations by about 70 to 75 percent in children ages 2 to 17. That’s a big deal.
It's especially important to talk about this since pediatric flu deaths were at record highs last season, totaling 289. And, flu vaccination rates this year in kids are lower than we’ve seen in recent years. Fewer than half of children have gotten their flu shot so far – about 42.5%.
So, if you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, there’s still time. Flu season usually lasts into March. This season, the CDC estimates more than 11 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and about 5,000 deaths. At this point, these numbers are already higher than they were at the same time last year. Getting vaccinated still matters, and research shows it provides better protection against H3N2 than going unvaccinated.
This Week on the Dr. Nandi Show
Dr. Partha Nandi, MD breaks down how bariatric surgery can be a powerful option for people struggling with obesity. You’ll meet a guest who "dieted her way up to 284 pounds" and shares how surgery transformed her life and helped her with her diabetes. A bariatric surgeon also joins the conversation to explain the different types of procedures and what patients should know about the benefits and risks. Tune in on Sunday, January 11th at 12:30 pm.
