VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It turns out this year’s flu vaccine was not as effective as hoped, especially for seniors.
On a local level, there are studies and tests happening right now to find a better vaccine that works.
“We’ve had years where they’re much better. Last year, it varied from 40 to 70 per cent in the Fraser Health Authority depending on what vaccine you had,” says Dr. Paul Van Buynder with the Fraser Health Authority.
He says this year’s vaccine has only worked in just over half of all the people who got the shot.
“The message is, anything is better than nothing. We’ve got to try and protect our seniors. They should be vaccinated every year, but we also should be vaccinating people around seniors,” Van Buynder adds.
The research was done on those who contracted the H-3-N-2 strain.
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Flu Shot is Nothing more than Drug Companies Making Money …….
This year I was diagnosed with asthma, so it was suggested I get my flu shot and I did.
Still got the flu; it knocked me flat for well over a week and nearly four weeks later I am still dealing with the affects.
In the past few years I have not picked up the flu, even though I had not had a flu shot…. AND I have a small child in group daycare (bug factory!!).
I am of the opinion that we all should get sick from time to time to increase our bodies immunity. It IS part of life, even if it is an inconvenience and a pain in the neck. I think some of us NEED to have a few days of rest and recuperation, slow down a bit. Life is too hectic and serious for us all.
I’m not downplaying the seriousness of illness for the infirm or elderly, and I am not being callous, but really, illness is part of the natural cycle of things.
….and yet they force us health care workers to get this.
It’s a shame your biased comment misses the whole other side…you know..the side where people can/have died from seasonal influenza….
Give it a rest
By Dr. Mercola
Before you decide to get a flu shot for yourself or your child, take a few minutes to look into the research on both their effectiveness and safety.
What you will find may very well impact your decision.
Case in point, new research in the Journal of Virology found that the seasonal flu vaccine may weaken children’s immune systems and increase their chances of getting sick from influenza viruses not included in the vaccine.
Further, when blood samples from 27 healthy, unvaccinated children and 14 children who had received an annual flu shot were compared, the former unvaccinated group naturally built up more antibodies across a wider variety of influenza strains compared to the latter vaccinated group.
Unfortunately, the pattern with many doctors aggressively promoting vaccinations, the flu shot included, is to “shoot first” and ask questions later.
The truth is there are many unanswered questions about whether or not the flu shot is safe and effective, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends them for everyone over the age of 6 months, nonetheless.
As ABC News reported, the study’s lead author noted:
“Annual vaccination against influenza … may have potential drawbacks that have previously been underappreciated and that are also a matter of debate.”