The vaccine used for the 2024-2025 flu season in the US helps prevent three strains of flu, instead of four strains as before because one strain no longer exists.
Theo Livescienesthis is the first time since 2012, the US has used trivalent vaccine instead of quadrivalent, to prevent three influenza strains including influenza A H1N1 and H3N2, influenza B strain Victoria. The fourth type of influenza virus, the Yamagata strain, has been removed from the vaccine.
The reason is that scientists have recorded signs that the Yamagata virus will become extinct in 2021. There are no reported cases of this strain of flu in the world. They believe that the Yamagata virus disappeared thanks to the application of public health measures to prevent Covid-19, such as wearing masks, social distancing…
Removing Yamagata will not reduce the effectiveness of future flu shots. The vaccine still helps against existing virus strains, the effectiveness of prevention against H1N1 or Victoria strains is maintained.
However, the preventive medicine agency continues to monitor signs of the Yamagata strain, and may reuse the quadrivalent vaccine when necessary.
In March, the US Food and Drug Administration announced a change in flu vaccines. However, according to STAT Newsmore time is needed for global manufacturers to switch to the new formula. Still CNN Evaluation, when the Yamagata strain is eliminated, companies can increase their ability to produce flu vaccines, minimizing the risk that the virus may escape during the production process.
Influenza is a common infectious disease in humans. In the US, the flu peak occurs in October every year. Health officials recommend flu prevention before the epidemic peaks, so that people are immune to the disease.
According to studies, flu vaccination helps reduce the death rate by 70-80%, reduces the number of people hospitalized with flu or worsening of underlying illnesses due to flu. Flu vaccination of pregnant women reduces the risk of hospitalization by 40%. 51% reduced risk of stillbirth, 25% reduced premature birth rate, 72% reduced risk of children under 6 months old being hospitalized due to flu.
After the basic vaccination schedule, the influenza vaccine needs to be given a booster each year. The reason is that flu viruses change throughout the year. Vaccination helps effectively prevent new flu strains and replenishes the gradually decreasing antibody levels of previous year’s vaccines.
Pregnant women get flu shots in the second or last trimester of pregnancy to help protect the mother and transfer antibodies to the fetus, protecting the newborn until they are old enough to be vaccinated.
In addition, when symptoms appear, you should be careful not to go to crowded places, wear a mask, and avoid contact with people at high risk such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly. People should limit vigorous exercise, rest properly, and eat a nutritious diet to help the body recover quickly from illness.