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Flu Vaccine Myth Must Be Dispelled
Experts concur that lower effectiveness of flu vaccine one year doesn’t reduce the importance of vaccination in following years.
But, according to Luke Noll, Director of Corporate Accounts for Vaccines and Influenza Treatment at FFF Enterprises, those who are unaware of this might question whether a vaccine is worthwhile.
“That will be the primary myth and belief that must be overcome next season,” Noll said after attending the 2008 National Flu Vaccine Summit in May, which was sponsored by the American Medical Association (AMA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). At the summit, a session was devoted to the topic of myths and the flu vaccine.
According to Dr. Frank S. Virant, who practices at the Northwest Asthma and Allergy Center in Seattle, Wash., chances are slim that last year—which had an overall vaccine effectiveness rate of 44 percent—will repeat itself.
“Some people might be frustrated that they ‘got the flu anyway,’ " Dr. Virant said, “but they should realize this phenomenon only happens every 15 to 20 years ... this is very unlikely to occur again for several years.”
Also, last year’s vaccine still provided cross-protection benefits against viruses related to the circulating A strain.
So “when you talk about the overall effectiveness of the flu vaccine for the past 16 out of 20 years, it was a good match,” Noll stated, referring to the vaccine’s 58 percent effectiveness against circulating influenza A viruses.
You can read more about this topic in an upcoming issue of IG Living magazine. Subscribe here.
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