CDC: 2014 Flu Shots Less Effective

Doctors said usually flu shots are about 80% effective but according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the effectiveness has dropped to about 50% . The CDC said flu virus samples taken from earlier this season showed just under half, 48%, matched the current influenza strains in this year’s vaccine.

More than half the samples were different indicating a mutation of the strain that was predicted to be the most common this year.

Local health officials and the CDC still recommend getting vaccinated, they said some protection is better than no protection and it can still decrease the severity of the illness.

"If you don’t get a flu shot at all then you have no protection against the flu," said Kevin Hall eith the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. "Even at 50% you still have pretty good odds that you will be protected."

Hall said scientists use their best educated guess to determine what strain of influenza will be the most predominate and put that into that year’s vaccine but he said it is never completely accurate.
Besides getting a flu shot, Hall said the best way to prevent the flu and not spread the disease is to cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands often.