CDC Warns: We may be in for a nasty flu season

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   CDC Warns That The Flu Season May Be A Bad One

Rob Stein December 4, 2014 

We may be in for a nasty flu season. That's the warning out today from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC is worried because the most common strain of flu virus circulating in the United States is one called H3N2. In previous years, H3N2 strains have tended to send more people to the hospital than other strains — and cause more deaths, especially among the elderly, children and people with other health problems.

Another concern is that more than half of the H3N2 viruses tested so far this year have "drifted," meaning they have mutated slightly from the strain used to make this year's flu vaccine.

"In past season during which predominant circulating influenza viruses have been antigenically drifted, decreased vaccine effectiveness has been observed," the CDC wrote in an alert sent to doctors.

Translation? This year's flu vaccine may not work as well as it usually does.

The CDC emphasized, however, that the vaccine will still provide some protection, so it's important that as many people as possible get vaccinated.

The agency also urged people at risk of flu-related complications to seek treatment as soon as possible because antiviral drugs can help reduce the severity of the flu. The medicines work best when taken within the first 48 hours of getting sick.

So far, it looks like the drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, will work well against the strains of flu virus circulating, the CDC says.

"Clinicians should encourage all persons with influenza-like illness who are at high risk for influenza complications to seek care promptly to determine if treatment with influenza antiviral medication is warranted," the alert says

http://www.wbur.org/npr/368438117/h3n2-cdc-warns-that-the-flu-season-may-be-a-bad-one

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arirish Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: June 19 2013 Location: Arkansas Status: Offline Points: 39215	Post Options Post Reply Quote arirish Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: CDC Warns: We may be in for a nasty flu season Posted: December 04 2014 at 10:27am
	CDC Warns That The Flu Season May Be A Bad One Rob Stein December 4, 2014 We may be in for a nasty flu season. That's the warning out today from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is worried because the most common strain of flu virus circulating in the United States is one called H3N2. In previous years, H3N2 strains have tended to send more people to the hospital than other strains — and cause more deaths, especially among the elderly, children and people with other health problems. Another concern is that more than half of the H3N2 viruses tested so far this year have "drifted," meaning they have mutated slightly from the strain used to make this year's flu vaccine. "In past season during which predominant circulating influenza viruses have been antigenically drifted, decreased vaccine effectiveness has been observed," the CDC wrote in an alert sent to doctors. Translation? This year's flu vaccine may not work as well as it usually does. The CDC emphasized, however, that the vaccine will still provide some protection, so it's important that as many people as possible get vaccinated. The agency also urged people at risk of flu-related complications to seek treatment as soon as possible because antiviral drugs can help reduce the severity of the flu. The medicines work best when taken within the first 48 hours of getting sick. So far, it looks like the drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, will work well against the strains of flu virus circulating, the CDC says. "Clinicians should encourage all persons with influenza-like illness who are at high risk for influenza complications to seek care promptly to determine if treatment with influenza antiviral medication is warranted," the alert says http://www.wbur.org/npr/368438117/h3n2-cdc-warns-that-the-flu-season-may-be-a-bad-one
	Buy more ammo!

Tinijocaro Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tinijocaro Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 04 2014 at 7:19pm
	Wow this is good to know. My 12 year old daughter was hospitalized in the PICU for 7 days in September from asthma, at the time they thought it was enterovirus but turned out to be a severe case of asthma. Hopefully she can get through the season without another hospitalization.

Dutch Josh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Adviser Group Joined: May 01 2013 Location: Arnhem-Netherla Status: Offline Points: 95567	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dutch Josh Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 04 2014 at 10:19pm
	In Canada H5N2 shows up in poultry, in Europe it is H5N8-both those virusses are variations on the H5N1-virus that is very active in Egypt and Kerala-India. In East Asia H7N9, H5N8 and others are active. Combining that with th "usual flu-virus" H1N1 and H3N2 the "virusses are preparing for a party".
	We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein

jdljr1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: June 05 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1621	Post Options Post Reply Quote jdljr1 Report Post Thanks(2) Quote Reply Posted: December 05 2014 at 2:07am
	I had warned the group about this issue weeks ago and then posted no further on it since then out of concern I might encourage people to not get vaccinated, as the cross-protection could still keep some people out of the hospital. But that is all it will probably do, many of us will be sick soon. This new strain was spotted early enough, in Spring, to have insisted big pharma to revamp the vaccine, but the system and government serve them more than us. They would have screamed bloody murder, and thus the drug companies were allowed to produce and sell 156 million doses of vaccine that will mostly be shooting blanks. It would have been far better if the vaccine was late, than to have one that will be mostly ineffective. Get your elderberry syrup ready-it is far more effective than Tamiflu. John L.
	John L