ATLANTA – The existing flu season has reached at it worst during the last four years and one reason behind is the vaccine that didn’t work well to save most people against the virus. It was stated by the health officials on Thursday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine was the worst match since 1997-1998 when the vaccine totally proved unsupportive against the virus. CDC officials stated that 2007-08 seasons had a slow start but it was at its peak during mid-February and now it is towards decline but there are still reports of some cases.

During 2003-2004 when the vaccine did not target the exact flu strain that caused most illnesses, the current season was the worst after it so far adult deaths from flu and pneumonia are concerned.
Every year, health officials make a guess work to form a vaccine against three viruses they consider circulating in the coming season .Most of the time, they guess right and, the vaccine proves effective between 70 to 90 percent. But this year, the vaccine just proved 44% effective as two of the three strains didn’t match well enough.

The CDC evaluates flu season by studying adult mortality rates from the flu or pneumonia in 122 cities. This year, those deaths reached at 9 percent of all reported deaths in early March, and stayed above an outbreak threshold for 13 successive weeks. In 2003-2004, they reached at more than 10 percent of all deaths, and exceeded the outbreak threshold for nine weeks.

“This season is not quite as high but is lasting a little longer,” stated Dr. Dan Jernigan, deputy director of the CDC’s flu division.

Children deaths are another approach flu seasons are evaluated. So far this season is concerned 66 children died, with 46 who were not vaccinated. In 2003-2004, 153 children died. Every year, the flu results in 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations according to official guess. The elderly, young kids and people with unending illnesses are thought to be at the maximum risk.

The CDC was working with the Marshfield Clinic in central Wisconsin to acquire a better estimate of vaccine efficiency when the flu season was on its way. Almost the whole population in the Marshfield area that is consisted of almost 50,000 people receives health care at clinic offices, which has all vaccination and electronic medical records.

Type A H3N2 Brisbane strain caused most of the illness this year and it wasn’t in the vaccine. The Marshfield study and a flu season renew will be published this week in a CDC publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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