Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Flu shot less than 20% effective for most common strain this season, scientists find, Flu activity in Canada 'high' and continuing to rise, latest public health numbers say, Flu shot only 10% effective against most common strain this year, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. A doctor answers our questions, Ellen DeGeneres addresses ‘toxic’ workplace allegations as show returns for new season, Coronavirus: Ontario announces $70M flu shot campaign fall preparedness plan, Dr. Bonnie Henry says she's received abuse, death threats, SCOC to determine constitutionality of federal carbon tax, researchers measured the reduction in H1N1, Canada’s flu season started early this year, and might be hitting kids hard, Doctors anticipate better flu shot match, as annual sneezing, hacking season begins. effectiveness of the flu shot can wear off, so you need a new one every year to stay protected; The flu shot is effective. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. The Canadian flu season was also defined by early influenza B/Victoria activity, but the flu vaccine has proved more effective so far, according to a Eurosurveillance study. The CDC said the US flu season started early—the earliest seasons since the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic year—in the first week of November, and is still currently above baseline activities. Flu VE for adults ages 18 to 49 against H1N1 was especially low (5%; 95% confidence interval, − 45% to 37%), and younger adults and children seemed to get more protection from the vaccine against all circulating flu strains. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Generally, it’s more effective against H1N1 – which happens to be the dominant flu strain this season – than H3N2, which has been the dominant strain in the last two flu seasons, she said. All rights reserved.The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Canadian researchers say that this year’s flu vaccine appears to reduce the risk of catching the dominant flu strain by 72 per cent – much better than last year’s flu shot. The beginning of the US flu season was dominated by influenza B/Victoria, but since December, cases of H1N1 flu have increased. "What this is saying to us is that vaccine effectiveness and immunity to influenza viruses is more than about the antigenic match that we have previously understood to predict vaccine protection. The current seasonal flu vaccine protects about 45% of recipients against the circulating strains, according to midseason estimates of vaccine effectiveness (VE) published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. But because the virus appears to have genetically mutated somewhat since then, the vaccine is less effective this year. Canada’s flu season started early this year, and might be hitting kids hard. The researchers, members of the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network, found the flu shot was 17 per cent effective in preventing the respiratory illness from the H3N2 virus overall, but only 10 per cent effective for working-age adults 20 to 64. Meanwhile, influenza D viruses primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in humans.Most people who get sick with flu will have mild illness, will not need … It depends on how well the vaccine matches with the circulating flu viruses, as well as the health and age of the person getting the flu … They conclude, "Interim results from Canada's SPSN indicate that the 2019/20 influenza vaccine has provided substantial protection against medically-attended influenza illness during a season characterised by an approximately equal mix of influenza A and B viruses, a substantial proportion of which were genetically and antigenically mismatched to vaccine.
Please read our Commenting Policy first. So a lot depends on exactly what strain of flu virus is floating around in a given year. Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom are some of the countries that measure how well the flu vaccine protects against influenza-related illnesses each year.
READ MORE: The overall vaccine effectiveness of the 2017-2018 flu vaccine against both influenza A and B viruses is estimated to be 40 percent. Both Canada and Australia used the same vaccine components, which were meant to offer protection against two A-type influenza viruses —H3N2 and H1N1 —​ and a B strain. The researchers measured the reduction in H1N1 flu cases that were serious enough for people to seek medical attention, to figure out this number, which is in line with what Australia has been reporting for its vaccine this season. Get CIDRAP news and other free newsletters. Flu Vaccine … When the vaccine is well-matched to the flu strains circulating in a particular flu season, it can prevent the flu in up to 60% of the overall population.