Flu Vaccine Effective for Just Half of Those who Got Vaccinated and Failed to Protect Elderly, CDC Says

"We simply need a better vaccine against influenza, one that works better and lasts longer," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Did you get a flu vaccine this year?  If so, you might be interested to learn it has worked for only about half of those vaccinated this flu season, according to a Reuters report that cites information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  And this year's vaccine failed entirely in protecting the elderly.  "Experts generally estimate the effectiveness of flu vaccines to be between 50 percent and 70 percent, but this vaccine appears to have fallen on the low side of that range," the report reads.  While the vaccine is still the best protection available against the flu, CDC Director Thomas Frieden said, we need better vaccines.  Did you get vaccinated this flu season? What do you think about news of the vaccine's …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Marne M

9:04 am on Friday, February 22, 2013

Some years are more effective than others. The vaccine is free at my workplace, and I get it every year. This year the flu has been particularly bad. My husband, daughter and son all got the flu (none of them had the shot). Even though I was with them the whole time, I never got it. It was worth it!   more ›

Flu is Affecting Elderly at Historically High Rates — Find out Where to Get Vaccinated in Barrow County

The flu is always more dangerous to those 65 and older, but it is worse this year. Find out why.

Flu Affecting Elderly at High Rates — Find out Where to Get a Flu Shot in Barrow County

According to a USA Today report, there are three main flu strains circulating nationwide, with the predominant one appearing to be especially dangerous for the elderly.

The flu is always more dangerous to those 65 and older, but it is worse this year because the prevalent flu strain is especially dangerous to older people, a USA Today report says. That prevalent flu strain, H3N2, has not circulated much since 2005, so people have little immunity to it unless they were vaccinated this year. But it's not too late to get a flu shot, the report says, and several more weeks of the flu season are still ahead.  If people, especially the elderly, start to feel ill, they should contact their doctor quickly, Michael Jhung, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in the report. Antiviral drugs, taken within 48 hours of the onset of the flu, are helpful in preventing complications …

• Photos (1)

Still Time to Get a Flu Shot in Barrow County

Flu activity is intense in Georgia. Have you had a shot yet?

'Tis the Season to be Sick?

A local physician is seeing an increase in patients seeking treatment for two illnesses common this time of year.

An unplanned visit to my doctor earlier today with flu-like symptoms (the test came back negative) gave me the perfect opportunity to talk with her about the increase she is seeing in the number of patients seeking care for two particular conditions, including influenza. Dr. Carla Price is one of three doctors with Family Physicians P.A., a practice located at Barrow Regional Medical Center in Winder, and has seen more patients coming in with flu and strep throat than any other illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that flu-like illness has increased across the country and is higher than expected for this particular time of the year. Price said initial flu symptoms differ slightly this flu season than in …