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Questions were raised about vaccine effectiveness
YOUNGSTOWN
Public health officials rate the 2012-13 influenza season as moderate overall compared with the last couple of years of mild flu activity.
However, the flu virus caused four pediatric deaths in Ohio including one in Mahoning County during the 2012-13 flu season. Pediatric deaths are required to be reported to health officials.
There was very little flu activity locally and in Ohio during the week ending March 31 (Week 13), the next-to-the-last week of the flu season, which began in October 2012 and officially ended April 6.
Flu activity picked up early in the season peaking in December 2012, rather than in February as is usual, said Dr. John Venglarcik, Mahoning County District Board of Health medical director.
The county health district, in conjunction with Youngstown City Health District, collects influenza surveillance data weekly from September through May.
According to the Week 13 report, there was minimal intensity for influenzalike illness in outpatient settings. The report confirmed 111 influenza-associated hospitalizations, including 18 in the northeast section of the state.
There has recently been a little uptick in flu activity, most of it Influenza B; and a lot of the flulike symptoms people are experiencing most likely are gastroenteritis, Dr. Venglarcik said.
A few weeks ago, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) caused a stir when it reported that this year’s flu vaccine was not as successful at preventing the flu overall as hoped.
“Just as flu seasons vary, how well the flu vaccine works each season can vary too,” according to a March 29 report on the CDC Web site.
The CDC survey showed that the 2012-13 flu vaccine reduced the risk of flu-associated medical visits from influenza A (H3N2) viruses by one half and from influenza B by two-thirds for most of the population — thus providing significant benefit to the person getting vaccinated and to public health in general.
The CDC also reported that estimates for influenza vaccine effectiveness against medically attended illness during the 2012-13 flu season are consistent across age groups, with the exception of people 65 and older.
The overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) against influenza A and B viruses among people 65 and older was 27 percent. Though VE for people 65 and older was similar to other age groups for influenza B viruses, it was lower for influenza A viruses. The reasons for this aren’t clear, but it’s possible that some people 65 and older did not mount a good immune response to H3N2 from vaccination, according to the CDC.
Despite the less-than-hoped-for results, the CDC said vaccination, particularly for people 65 and older, remains a priority. According to CDC, while it can vary in how well it works, flu vaccination is the best tool available to protect against influenza infection. The Centers for Disease Control continues to recommends that, with rare exception, everyone 6 months and older should get an annual flu vaccination.
“We’re beginning to realize that while vaccines work well, they could be better,” Dr. Venglarcik said.
It could be that the people most likely to get vaccinated are less likely overall to get the disease, and people most vulnerable to the disease are less likely to get vaccinated making the vaccine appear to not be as effective as expected, said Dr. Venglarcik.
He said he is “very optimistic” about the higher immunization rate among hospital employees, over 70 percent.
He said New York State has mandated the flu shot for health-care workers, but he said most feel better if it is voluntary.
That being said, he said the 2020 overall goal for the entire population is 90 percent immunization and 100 percent for health care workers