Health officials say it’s time to give flu vaccine another shot

flu forecast is cloudy and it’s too soon to kw if U.S. is in for a third miserable season in a row, but health officials said Thursday t to delay vaccination. While vaccine didn’t offer much protection past two years, specialists have fine-tuned recipe in hopes it will better counter a nasty strain this time around.

“Getting vaccinated is going to be best way to prevent whatever happens,” Dr. Daniel Jernigan, flu chief at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Associated Press. Last year’s flu brought double trouble: A new strain started second wave of illnesses just as first was winding down, making for one of longest influenza seasons on record. year before that marked flu’s highest death toll in recent deces.

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So far, it doesn’t look like flu season is getting an early start, Jernigan said. CDC urges people to get ir flu vaccine by end of October. Typically flu starts widely circulating in vember or December, and peaks by February. “Painless,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar prounced after getting his own flu shot at a news conference Thursday.

If people shrug at risk, “it’s t just about you,” Azar said. “Vaccinating yourself may also protect people around you,” such as how newborns have some flu protection if ir mors were vaccinated during pregnancy.

Scientists are hunting for better flu vaccines, and Trump ministration last week urged a renewed effort to modernise production. Most of today’s vaccine is produced by growing flu virus in chicken eggs, a 70-year-old techlogy with some flaws. It takes too long to brew new doses if a surprising strain pops up. And intriguingly, newer production techniques just might boost effectiveness.

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For w, people who get vaccinated and still get sick can expect a milder illness — and a lower risk of pneumonia, hospitalisation or death, stressed Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University and National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. He’s been kwn to tell such patients, “I’m always gl to see you’re still here to complain.” Here are some things to kw:

Who needs vaccine?

Everybody, starting at six months of , according to CDC. Flu is most dangerous for people over 65, young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions such as heart disease, asthma or or lung disorders, even diabetes. However, it can kill even young and orwise healthy. On aver, CDC said that flu kills about 24,000 Americans each year. Last year, 135 children died.

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Parents wouldn’t “drive off with ir child t restrained in a car seat, just in case y’re in an accident,” said Dr. Patricia Whitley-Williams, a pediatrician with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “So why would you t vaccinate your child against flu?”

How many get vaccinated?

t eugh, CDC says. Because flu mutates rapidly, a new vaccine is needed every year. Last year, 45% of ults and 63% of children got vaccinated, according to figures released Thursday. Some groups do a little better. Nearly three-quarters of children under 5 were vaccinated last year, and just over two-thirds of seniors.

How b will this year be?

Flu is one of medicine’s most unpredictable foes. For example, last fall started off fairly mild. But in February, a strain torious for more severe illness, called H3N2, suddenly popped up. Worse, even though each year’s vaccine contains protection against H3N2, circulating bug h mutated so it wasn’t a good match. A vaccine that h worked well for first few months of flu season suddenly wasn’t much use. But if that harsh bug returns, this year’s vaccine has been updated to better match it.

Lots of options

Manufacturers say up to 169 million vaccine doses will be available this year, and people can ask about different choices. Most will offer protection against four flu strains. Tritional flu shots are for all s. For needle-phobic ults, one brand uses a needle-free jet injector that pushes vaccine through skin. And FluMist nasal spray is for generally healthy people s 2 through 49, who aren’t pregnant. Two brands are specifically for 65-plus crowd, whose weakened immune systems don’t respond as well to tritional shots. One is a high dose, and or contains an extra immune-boosting compound. Those brands protect against three flu strains, including more typically severe ones.

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And people allergic to eggs have two options, one brand grown in mammal cells inste and ar me with genetic techlogy and insect cells.

-Egg vaccines gaining new interest

Newer techlogies could speed production, which is currently a six-month process. However, re’s ar reason going egg-free is getting scientists’ attention: Certain strains change a bit while growing in chicken eggs, an aptation that can make resulting vaccine a little less protective. It’s mainly a problem for those worrisome H3N2 strains. While it’s t clear how much difference that makes, Schaffner said some doctors alrey consider using egg-free brands for high-risk patients.

Or steps

Cover coughs and sneezes. Wash your hands frequently during flu season. One recent study showed washing is better than hand sanitizers. Ask about anti-flu treatments if you’re at high risk of complications. And most important, stay home if you’re sick to keep from spreing misery.