It’s flu season, and while many people get their fly shot many experts are warning that this year’s flu vaccine will be less effective due to a virus mutation.
The process of making a flu vaccine occurs several months before the actual flu season. A global group of researchers will pick 3 or 4 influenza strains that they think will infect the northern hemisphere and develop a vaccine that usually provides 40-60% effectiveness. Each flu strain is grown in chicken eggs and manipulated to become benign. Since, viruses don’t naturally grow in eggs they have to first be mutated. It seems that the mutation to have the virus grow in these eggs to make a vaccine has made this year’s batch of flu vaccines less effective. The point of comparison for this is from the terrible flu season that Australia had earlier this year and, they had used a similar vaccine.
It is estimated that the current vaccine is only going to be 10% effective against H3N2, the main flu strain this year. More bad news: the H3N2 is more virulent than the H1N1 strain. Even though, the vaccine is said to not be very effective this year it is better to get the vaccine since it does protect against other influenza strained. And hey, some protection is better than none, but brace yourselves everyone.
Jessica Ngo
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