Flu season worst in four years

by Maggie Vink (Subscribe to Maggie Vink's posts)
Apr 17th 2008 5:00PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment

I know it got me. Did it get you? Despite getting the flu vaccine last fall, I was down for the count with one of the nastiest bouts of flu I've ever had. According to US health officials, I wasn't alone. This flu season has been the worst in four years.

According to the CDC, the flu vaccine was only 44% effective against the strains of the flu viruses that were out this year. While it gave 58% protection over the most predominant strain, it was completely ineffective against other types of the flu virus.

In previous years, the flu vaccine has had up to a 70% effectiveness. The vaccine is developed each year based on data about the currently circulating strains of the influenza virus. According to the CDC, the vaccine has been a good match to the circulating viruses in 16 of the past 20 years.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Nova11 4-17-2008 @ 5:46PM

I had the WORST flu ever this past December. I had gotten the flu shot in October, but obviously it didnt work. My kids got it and then i got it....so bad that i ended up with pneumonia. I was sick for about a month...and the cough lasted for almost 2 months!! never again, i hope! I keep hearing about people dying from pneumonia...(ie...cameron diaz's dad for one).....its scary!!

Dr. Phil Domenico 4-17-2008 @ 9:36PM

Yeah, I got the flu too, and I never get sick. However, I got a mild bout, yet its residual effects lasted over two weeks. I believe the best protection against the flu is to be healthy and to build up immunity. That entails eating well and taking dietary supplements, especially antioxidants. The latest scare about antioxidants was some of the worst science I've seen, and I'm a scientist. Of over 750 studies, they discarded over 90% of them and cherry-picked the ones that gave them the answer they wanted. Granted, too much vitamin A, Beta-carotene or Vitamin E can be dangerous, especially in certain people. But most multivitamins do not go overboard with any of these. Another problem is that some of these are made synthetically, and it's far better to get the natural form. What really riled me was that same study showed a 9% reduction in mortality with selenium, but they conveniently failed to mention that fact. Remember that health in this country is profit driven, so it really requires critical thinking and experimentation to find what works for each person. I personally do not recommend these flu vaccines, and rely instead on a strong immune system.

marcie0305 4-17-2008 @ 9:43PM

"I believe the best protection against the flu is to be healthy and to build up immunity." Amen. Antioxidants are best found in very fresh organic produce :) and probiotics are also very important for immune health.

http://feedingblackmail.blogspot.com/2007/08/spending-money-on-activia-or-danactive.html

I stopped getting the flu shot, because I always seem to get the flu the season I get one. Maybe it's just me. But I think vaccines are almost like a genically modified version of whatever the CDC has on their radar, and your body becomes less able to fight the other strains that come along because of the shot. I'm just talking out loud, I'm not a Dr. But certainly a big fan of preventative health :)

~Marcie