The US flu vaccine has shown overall effectiveness against current strains of the virus, despite a surge in cases and hospitalizations in the region, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About 54.9% of the influenza A H3N2 strain — which accounts for about half of all cases this season — is well-matched to the vaccine. The fluView data shows that 100% of the H1N1 strains were matched to the vaccine.
For children and adolescents, the vaccine effectiveness was between 32-60% in outpatient settings and 63-78% against influenza-associated hospitalization. For adults, the effectiveness ranged from 36-54% in outpatient settings and 41-55% against influenza-associated hospitalization.
The CDC’s findings contradict previous concerns that the flu vaccine this season might be poorly matched. Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease physician, said the new data is consistent with better years of match between the flu strain and flu vaccine, especially in reducing hospitalizations.
“The closer the match between the vaccine virus strains and the circulating virus strains causing disease during flu season, the better the protection that the vaccine provides,” Dr. Tom Walsh, an infectious disease physician at Allegheny Health Network, explained. “A 50% or 60% match is not terrible to see typically.”
Walsh attributes a decline in vaccination rates — with only 45% of adults and 40% of children receiving a flu shot — to misinformation about vaccines circulating since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CDC updates its vaccine recommendations annually based on insights from the FDA. However, the recent cancellation of a committee meeting to recommend seasonal flu shots for the 2025-26 influenza season has raised concerns about manufacturers’ ability to scale up production in time for the start of the next flu season.
Source: https://triblive.com/local/regional/cdc-estimates-flu-vaccine-effectiveness-as-cases-trend-downward