(Image: cdc.gov)
You’ve all heard it on the news. This year’s flu vaccine is a mismatch with the circulating strain of flu virus in the community. The predominant strain that scientists call the H3N2 (Influenza A) has stumped us by ‘drifting’ just a little—a common way the virus mutates itself to avoid our smart immune systems and flu vaccines. The flu virus epitomizes nature’s survival of the fittest rule very effectively. Over the years, our scientists have done a great job guessing what flu virus strain they should include in the flu vaccine. However, every so often, the virus manages to fool all of us through minor ‘drifts’ and major ‘shifts’ in its genetic makeup.
Fortunately, a drift as we’ve seen in this year’s strain is not all bad news. Our quadrivalent flu vaccine (effective against 4 strains of flu) offers cross protection against this mutated strain and even if it can’t prevent the flu, it can minimize the severity of illness and reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from flu.
So, please don’t lose faith in this year’s flu vaccine. A little protection is better than no protection. Also, don’t forget there are three more flu strains out there that haven’t created havoc yet—hope the vaccine will keep these in check this season.
-Sangeeta Elhence, M.D.
Lake Lewisville Pediatrics 