Flu Season Winding Down
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 @ 3:48 AM
Prince George, B.C. – Flu season is wrapping up.
Dr. William Osei, Medical Health Officer for the Northern Interior, says the worst is over “We hit the peak in late January when we had outbreaks in about 15 Northern Health facilities”.
He says the good news is that no one in the Northern Health region has died from the flu this year, largely because seniors who got their flu shot also got the vaccine that protects against pneumonia.
Dr. Osei says health officials are already planning for next year’s flu season, having identified the strain that has started making its way through the southern hemisphere. He says the new strain is very similar to the one we have just experienced, so the vaccine will be “tweaked” to cover the new strain.
Does that mean people who got the flu shot this year will still be protected next year? No says Osei, “The new strain is slightly different, and that is why the vaccine will be tweaked for next year. It is also why the vaccine is made to cover three different strains.”
Comments
The shot that is supposed to protect people from pneumonia is at best only 60% effective, according to the manufacturer. About 5 years ago I had that shot and was talked into getting a flu shot at the same time.
This overwhelmed my immune system, I got a very bad sinus infection which went into my teeth and gums. Two days after the shots I was at the dentist in excruciating pain and needed two weeks of intense treatments with two different antibiotics.
Since then I have not had a flu shot and got over the bit of flu I had without shots and medications.
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