This Year’s Flu Shot Was 35% Effective In Reducing Risk Of Hospitalization Among Patients In Southern Hemisphere, Research Finds

ABC News (10/3, Benadjaoud, Kekatos) reports, “This year’s flu vaccine significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization in the Southern Hemisphere but wasn’t as effective as the vaccine used in the prior season, according to an early study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Thursday.” Investigators “found the seasonal flu vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization from flu by 35% across five Southern Hemisphere countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.” The findings were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CBS News (10/3, Tin) says, “Last year, the CDC’s report had estimated vaccine effectiveness in South America was 51.9% against hospitalization among at-risk groups.” The article adds, “The biggest drop in effectiveness this year may be the result of fewer cases from ‘A(H1N1)pdm09,’ a strain that has spread since the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009.” HealthDay (10/3, Mundell) reports that bout 68.3% “of those sent to hospital had the A(H3N2) strain of flu, according to the report from the” CDC. The risk reduction associated “with the current shot is within historical averages on vaccine potency against H3N2, which typically ranges from between 24% and 43%, the report authors said.”