As I was walking around Market Wednesday in the Student Union recently, I noticed a startling amount of people with their faces hidden by masks. This was just another reminder that the flu season is still upon us. Students were wearing masks to prevent the spread of the disease, which has now has led to 84 children’s deaths. Flu season can start as early as October and last until May, the peak of it being from January to February.
According to a report from CNN, “three out of four children who died from the flu had not gotten a flu vaccine, the acting director of the CDC said in a Thursday news conference.” According to CDC officials, many adults and their children don’t get vaccinated due to one of two reasons: “There are those who say the vaccine was not promoted or recommended by their child’s physician. And there are those who simply believe that their child isn’t susceptible to the flu because their kid is otherwise healthy and does not have a high-risk condition.” Obviously, getting the flu shot is the most effective way to prevent getting the flu. Not getting the flu shot during flu season is like walking outside in the rain without an umbrella and expecting not to get wet.
Courtesy: Acppps
That being said, one of the reasons why this flu season has been extremely deadly is partly due to the fact that the overall effective rate of the shot is only 36 percent, which is the worst it has been in a decade. Although getting the vaccine is better than not getting it all, there have been cases like six-year-old Nevaeh Hernandez who died of a flu-related illness even though she had received her flu shot. The deadliest strand of the flu this year has been Type A H3N2, which the vaccine is only 25 percent effective against. A Vanderbilt University vaccine expert says the ineffability of the vaccine is a “contributing factor” to people not getting vaccinated. While the flu shot may only be 36 percent effective, it is found to work better on children. For youngsters, it is 59 percent effective against all strains and 51 percent effective against the deadly H3N2 strain. Still, having some protection is better than no protection.
While the peak of the flu season is almost over, it is still important to make sure you don’t catch it. A spokeswoman for the CDC said that flu activity is still “very high,” although on a positive note its activity did not increase in the past week, leading some to speculate that the flu season has peaked. Out of all 50 states, only in Hawaii and Oregon is the flu not regarded as widespread. Overall, there have been 178,040 total infections this season, and it seems likely that the number will only go up. Make sure to take extra precautions to ensure you don’t catch the flu!