Flu vaccine recommended despite report questioning effectiveness
By Kat Russell & Amanda Cudo
Stamford Advocate
December 5, 2017
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Flu-vaccine-recommended-despite-report-12407917.php
By Kat Russell & Amanda Cudo
Stamford Advocate
December 5, 2017
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Flu-vaccine-recommended-despite-report-12407917.php
STAMFORD — Some flu protection is better than none.
That’s the advice of Dr. Michael Parry, director of infectious diseases at Stamford Hospital, in response to a recent study indicating this year’s flu vaccine may only be 10 percent effective. Parry said the report, published last week by the New England Journal of Medicine, should not deter people from protecting themselves against the flu.
“It’s important to realize that there are four different strains of flu virus in the standard vaccine, and each one has its own level of protection and that will vary from season to season,” Parry said. “Typically, the vaccine is very good against the influenza A (H1N1) strain, that’s the pandemic strain, and it’s very good against type B, and we see both of those strains each year in Connecticut.”
The study is based largely on reports from Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, which experiences the flu season before this side of the world. Australia not only had record high numbers of flu cases, hospitalizations and deaths, but also a flu shot that doesn’t appear to be a good match for the predominant strains.
The report states that influenza A (H3N2) viruses are predominant in the Southern Hemisphere, and a preliminary estimate showed the vaccine as only 10 percent effective against that strain.
The report said it’s unclear how that will affect the Northern Hemisphere’s flu season — which typically starts in October and can run as late as May — but this season’s vaccine has the same composition as the one being used in the Southern Hemisphere.
“We don’t know that the Australian experience is going to be our experience,” Parry said. “The information that is coming out of Australia could be useful in preparing for this year’s flu season here, but we really don’t know what flu season is going to be like here until it’s over, and we really don’t know how effective the vaccine is going to be because the virus will change.”
H3N2 mutates frequently, Parry said, which makes it difficult to produce an effective vaccine to protect against it. In most cases, Parry said, getting the vaccine is still better than not getting protected against the infectious respiratory illness, even if the vaccine isn’t an ideal match for circulating viruses.
Yet an expert from the state Department of Public Health said it’s a bit early to push the panic button and declare this season’s vaccine ineffective.
“It is important to remember that the flu season in the U.S. is just starting to ramp up and no studies on vaccine effectiveness for the Northern Hemisphere have been completed so far,” said Mick Bolduc, DPH’s Vaccine Coordinator for the Connecticut Immunization Program. “Although the flu numbers from Australia are concerning and bear watching, the implications for the U.S. are not known at this point. Even in seasons when the vaccine is not a great match to the circulating flu strains, a flu shot is still the best protection an individual can get to protect not only against influenza disease but also from severe illness, hospitalization and death from flu-related complications.”
Meanwhile, flu activity in Connecticut is climbing steadily.
According to DPH, as of Nov. 25, a total of 142 people tested positive for the flu, up from 96 the week before. The state also reports that 54 people were hospitalized, which rose from 39 the week before. There weren’t any deaths.
Influenza A viruses are dominating in the state, as they are nationwide. DPH reports that 106 of the positive flu cases were type A, with an unspecified subtype and 17 were type A (H3N2).
The bulk of cases were in Fairfield County, which had 49 people test positive for the flu. Hartford County was close behind, with 43 cases, and New Haven County was a distant third with 26.
In Stamford, Dr. Parry said the hospital has seen 12 cases of influenza since Nov. 1, more than double the number of cases seen during the same time last year. Of those 12 cases, Parry said 80 percent were influenza A and 20 percent were influenza B.
But those numbers pale in comparison, Parry said compared to peak season.
“When we’re in the peak of influenza season, which is typically in February, we’re seeing 10 to 15 cases a day.”
That said, Parry said it is too early to characterize what this year’s flu season might look like in Connecticut.
“We don’t know how bad the season is going to be until it’s pretty much over,” he said. “We’re concerned about influenza every winter season, and despite the vaccine there are going to be a lot of people who get the flu.”
Flu activity in the state is classified as “regional,” meaning that there have been outbreaks of influenza or increases in flu-like illnesses and recent lab-confirmed influenza in at least two but less than half the regions of the state. The regional classification is one step down from “widespread,” which represents the highest level of flu activity. So far, flu is widespread in four states — Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma.
kat.russell@stamfordadvocate.com
That’s the advice of Dr. Michael Parry, director of infectious diseases at Stamford Hospital, in response to a recent study indicating this year’s flu vaccine may only be 10 percent effective. Parry said the report, published last week by the New England Journal of Medicine, should not deter people from protecting themselves against the flu.
“It’s important to realize that there are four different strains of flu virus in the standard vaccine, and each one has its own level of protection and that will vary from season to season,” Parry said. “Typically, the vaccine is very good against the influenza A (H1N1) strain, that’s the pandemic strain, and it’s very good against type B, and we see both of those strains each year in Connecticut.”
The study is based largely on reports from Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, which experiences the flu season before this side of the world. Australia not only had record high numbers of flu cases, hospitalizations and deaths, but also a flu shot that doesn’t appear to be a good match for the predominant strains.
The report states that influenza A (H3N2) viruses are predominant in the Southern Hemisphere, and a preliminary estimate showed the vaccine as only 10 percent effective against that strain.
The report said it’s unclear how that will affect the Northern Hemisphere’s flu season — which typically starts in October and can run as late as May — but this season’s vaccine has the same composition as the one being used in the Southern Hemisphere.
“We don’t know that the Australian experience is going to be our experience,” Parry said. “The information that is coming out of Australia could be useful in preparing for this year’s flu season here, but we really don’t know what flu season is going to be like here until it’s over, and we really don’t know how effective the vaccine is going to be because the virus will change.”
H3N2 mutates frequently, Parry said, which makes it difficult to produce an effective vaccine to protect against it. In most cases, Parry said, getting the vaccine is still better than not getting protected against the infectious respiratory illness, even if the vaccine isn’t an ideal match for circulating viruses.
Yet an expert from the state Department of Public Health said it’s a bit early to push the panic button and declare this season’s vaccine ineffective.
“It is important to remember that the flu season in the U.S. is just starting to ramp up and no studies on vaccine effectiveness for the Northern Hemisphere have been completed so far,” said Mick Bolduc, DPH’s Vaccine Coordinator for the Connecticut Immunization Program. “Although the flu numbers from Australia are concerning and bear watching, the implications for the U.S. are not known at this point. Even in seasons when the vaccine is not a great match to the circulating flu strains, a flu shot is still the best protection an individual can get to protect not only against influenza disease but also from severe illness, hospitalization and death from flu-related complications.”
Meanwhile, flu activity in Connecticut is climbing steadily.
According to DPH, as of Nov. 25, a total of 142 people tested positive for the flu, up from 96 the week before. The state also reports that 54 people were hospitalized, which rose from 39 the week before. There weren’t any deaths.
Influenza A viruses are dominating in the state, as they are nationwide. DPH reports that 106 of the positive flu cases were type A, with an unspecified subtype and 17 were type A (H3N2).
The bulk of cases were in Fairfield County, which had 49 people test positive for the flu. Hartford County was close behind, with 43 cases, and New Haven County was a distant third with 26.
In Stamford, Dr. Parry said the hospital has seen 12 cases of influenza since Nov. 1, more than double the number of cases seen during the same time last year. Of those 12 cases, Parry said 80 percent were influenza A and 20 percent were influenza B.
But those numbers pale in comparison, Parry said compared to peak season.
“When we’re in the peak of influenza season, which is typically in February, we’re seeing 10 to 15 cases a day.”
That said, Parry said it is too early to characterize what this year’s flu season might look like in Connecticut.
“We don’t know how bad the season is going to be until it’s pretty much over,” he said. “We’re concerned about influenza every winter season, and despite the vaccine there are going to be a lot of people who get the flu.”
Flu activity in the state is classified as “regional,” meaning that there have been outbreaks of influenza or increases in flu-like illnesses and recent lab-confirmed influenza in at least two but less than half the regions of the state. The regional classification is one step down from “widespread,” which represents the highest level of flu activity. So far, flu is widespread in four states — Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma.
kat.russell@stamfordadvocate.com
