Friday, December 19, 2014

Forget whether it matches, just get your vaccine! / CDC

CDC has created a litany of excuses for why it recommends flu vaccines for kids despite poor protection against the majority of this year's influenza strains (H1N1 and H3N2). See below for the data on the poor vaccine match this year. Below are the reasons CDC says parents should still give the current vaccine to their children.  I read between the lines after each one.
"... Because: 
1. Surveillance shows that there is substantially more circulation of influenza A (H3N2) and B viruses and very little circulating H1N1 so far; (i.e., the strain for which there is zero effectiveness is only a minor problem--Nass)
2. LAIV has been shown to offer good protection against influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B viruses in the past; (forget the antigenic drift problem occurring this season and focus on past success--Nass)
3. LAIV may offer better protection than IIV against antigenically drifted viruses that may circulate this season; (compare one poor vaccine to another poor vaccine against drifted H3N2, to emphasize a possible, marginal benefit--Nass)
4. Vaccine providers have received their vaccine for the 2014-2015 season and have likely administered a good proportion of it; (create fear of a shortage to increase vaccine uptake--Nass)
ACIP and CDC have not changed the current influenza vaccination recommendations. (They never do, regardless of the match between flu strains and vaccines--Nass)
People who have not been vaccinated yet this season should get vaccinated now. Parents should seek to get their children immunized with whatever vaccine is immediately available and indicated..." (By all means, don't postpone vaccinations until learning whether this year is a good match--Nass)

1 comment:

Ellen Byrne said...

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/public/associated_press/report-fbi-s-anthrax-investigation-was-flawed/article_aa8a4bb4-87a8-11e4-bc06-47761e3c6e74.html