Dive Brief:
- With influenza levels at epidemic levels this season, the CDC has concluded that this year's inoculation is mismatched to the viral strains that are infecting Americans.
- When the inoculation in the vaccine is well matched with the viruses that are circulating, the level of effectiveness ranges from 50% to 60%.
- For the week ending January 3, 7% of all deaths reported through the CDC monitoring system were attributed to influenza or pneumonia, according to Bloomberg.
Dive Insight:
Already, the rate of influenza this season has crossed the epidemic threshold, which is 6.9%. While it is clear that the flu vaccine does not in any way confer 100% protection, this year's level of effectiveness has some questioning whether or not it makes sense to get a flu vaccination and the efficacy of antiviral medications in general.
In response to the epidemic influenza levels, a U.S. House Subcommittee will be holding a hearing on February 3 to address public health officials' response to this season's epidemic, while also looking at the relationship between flu season preparation and overall pandemic response capabilities.