Despite a report that puts the current flu vaccine effectiveness at 59 percent for the season, the CDC still urges vaccination. The finding is comparable to past estimates for seasons with similar circulating viral strains, according to a statement from the CDC.
"This means that getting a flu vaccine this season reduced the risk of having to go to the doctor because of flu by nearly 60 percent," Joseph Bresee, MD, chief of CDC's Epidemiology and Prevention Branch, said in the statement. "It's good news and underscores the importance and the benefit of both annual and ongoing vaccination efforts this season."
Flu vaccines are formulated based on the best predications made by researchers looking ahead to next year's seasons, according to research reported by Becker's Hospital Review earlier this week. Flu activity started a bit later this season than usual, and has been consistently lower than the previous three years, according to the CDC.