Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty on Flu Vaccine asks Loyola Infectious Disease Specialist
Loyola Medicinehe Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that flu activity is “high” or “widespread” in 43 states and call it an epidemic this season. Most of the cases are caused by the H3N2 strain. “Nearly one-third of circulating H3N2 virus match the strain found in the current vaccine, meaning the vaccine is doing its job,” says Parada. “One hundred percent of the H1N1 circulating strain matches that in the current vaccine, earning a touchdown or a bull’s eye for those keeping score.” However, to date, only a small portion of the flu cases reported to date have been identified as H1N1.