CDC: Flu vaccine 62% effective; 47 states report widespread illness

Flu activity continues to rise in the U.S., according to new surveillance statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.

Forty-seven states have now reported widespread influenza activity, according to the CDC's latest FluView report, three more states than officials estimated Wednesday. Two more children have died since last week's report, raising the total to 20 kids who have succumbed to the virus. It is still too soon to predict the severity of this flu season compared to previous ones, CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden told reporters during a conference call Thursday.

"The only thing predictable about flu is that it's unpredictable," said Frieden.

Play Video

Flu hits epidemic levels

The report covers the week of Dec. 30 through Jan. 5, and the CDC releases a revision every Friday. Widespread flu activity means more than 50 percent of counties or sub-regions within a particular state are reporting flu cases, according to CDC.

Twenty-four states and New York City have experienced high activity of influenza-like illness, with 16 states reporting moderate activity. Last week's report showed high activity in 29 states. The CDC hopes this reduction suggests that some states have already seen flu peaks and cases are waning, however, Frieden said that trends are harder to predict during the holiday season, when people may be less likely to see a doctor. Data in coming weeks may provide a clearer picture that some states are over the worst.

18 Photos

Widespread flu found in 48 states

CDC officials however did note that the West coast has not shown high flu activity and may be on the upswing, and in the South and Southeast -- where flu activity was reported early -- the disease may have already peaked and data now show declines in case counts. A complete look at how your state stacks up can be found on the CDC's website.

From Oct. 1 of 2012 through the report, an estimated 13.3 per 100,000 people were hospitalized with flu. The hardest hit group were adults ages 65 and older. Adults with underlying conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and lung disease (excluding asthma) were more likely to be hospitalized.

Underlying conditions like asthma, neurological disorders or diseases that weaken the immune system were commonly reported in hospitalized kids; however, more than 40 percent of them did not have an underlying medical condition.

Play Video

Flu outbreak swamps hospitals nationwide

Hospitals around the country have reported influxes of flu patients. In Chicago, several hospitals had to divert ambulances while one Pennsylvania hospital had to set up tents to deal with the extra patients.

Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told CBSNews.com Friday that his hospital set up additional treatment areas for flu patients.

"Many patients seem to have more severe illness this year as opposed to last year," Glatter said in an email. "In fact, a number of patients have required mechanical ventilation (respirator) due to difficulty breathing. We have also seen a number of children under the age of 5 with severe symptoms including muscle aches along with vomiting."

Play Video

Mass. hospital nearing full capacity with flu patients

The CDC does not track adult death rates -- state health departments do -- but about 24,000 die each year from influenza.

The CDC said the predominant virus causing flu nationwide is influenza A (H3N2), followed by influenza B viruses. Cases of H1N1, or "swine flu," -- the virus behind a 2009 pandemic -- have rarely been seen.

The CDC also released a new study Jan. 11 in its journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, that found this year's flu vaccine is about 62 percent effective. That means a person who takes the shot is 62 percent less likely to have to go to a doctor to get treated for flu. That's based on test results collected from 1,155 children and adults who reported to doctors with respiratory infections.

The vaccine has been about 60 to 70 percent effective at preventing the flu in recent years.

• Proper hand-washing essential during flu season
• Cold or flu? How to tell the difference
• Not too late to get flu vaccine, FDA urges

The agency still says this year's vaccine matches well to 90 percent of the strains that are out there, and recommends everyone over the age of 6 months gets a flu shot.

"Today, the flu vaccine is still by far the best prevention we have," said Frieden.

"However, these early [vaccine effectiveness] estimates underscore that some vaccinated persons will become infected with influenza," wrote the CDC researchers. "Therefore, antiviral medications should be used as recommended for treatment in patients, regardless of vaccination status."

Prescription drugs such as Tamiflu (generic name oseltamivir) and Relenza (generic name zanamivir) are usually prescribed for about five days, although people who are hospitalized may need to take the medicine longer. The drugs can reduce symptoms and shorten the time people are sick by one to two days, in addition to helping prevent more serious flu complications like pneumonia, according to the CDC.

[MartySeay]

This is what God showed On Jan 2-13 on what was coming

Severe Airborn OutBreak 2013



http://youtu.be/MZDzYkFn6FM

[alternativecat2]

I got a flu shot and got sick afterward. I was sick for two or three weeks. I have talked to many people who have had the same experience.

I was outraged at the time. I figured the pharmaceutical company probably has lousy quality control.

I never reported my illness because I was not provided any information when I got the shot.

I believe every person who gets a flu shot should be provided with a CDC number to call to report the illness, who made the vaccine, and the batch number the shot came from. That way if there was a problem with a particular batch it could be tracked.

A friend at work said her sister works for the Health Department and illness from a flu shot is rare. I explained to her the same info I explained above -- they don't know because they're not actually collecting the data to base an opinion on.

[NinPhan]

They should be providing you with a LOT# with ANY vaccine as they can all cause serious adverse reactions. Illness from a flu shot isn't rare at all, at this time of year the flu shot puts a strain on your immune system and makes you more prone to OTHER infections, including influenza viruses that aren't covered by the flu shot. There are MILLIONS of strains of influenza and the shot is ineffective against only three strains at a time.

It's a cash grab, totally ineffective.

[FirstLast12]

The vaccine did not work this year. More people than ever took the vaccine this flu season and several states have declared an emergency. The claim that it is 62% effective is exaggerated and I believe the actual number would be closer to 30% if a representative sampling was used in the study. The scientists who designed it failed everyone this flu season. I want my money back.

[NinPhan]

It's actually closer to 1% if you read the Cochrane Collaboration's in depth analysis of over 290 RCT's.

They found zero evidence it's effective in those under two, zero evidence to support vaccinating health care workers in long-term health care facilities, zero evidence it affects transmission and zero evidence it affects complications.

[alpinequeen]

Researchers and Big Pharma don't want to find cures for cancer or diseases because they'd all be out of jobs and out of business. When Jonas Salk invented his vaccine for polio that was well before the drug companies became mega world wide corporations. If he developed that vaccine today, the formula would get buried in a bank vault and all we would get on the market place is some watered down version that would make everyone get a shot every year and maybe it would protect you from getting the virus. I'm sure there are plenty of cure solutions sitting in bank vaults, maybe even next to the vault that contains the formula secret formula for Coca Cola.

Or imagine if Alexander Fleming hadn't discovered penicillin quite by accident back in 1928 while working on something else and it was only discovered until now? It would probably never make it to market. Big Pharma would be busy pushing something else that doesn't work as well.

[eiddam]

Since most know some virus's have been man made in places like Fort Detrict for years, and spread by air. The Pharmaceutical Companies lost out last year because many did not want the Flu shot. Has the spread of Flu escalated this year so the companies can become richer.
Food For Thought??

[AmazingGrce]

I work in retail and obviously we are exposed to potential flu carriers every day. Interesting that very few of us have reported having the flu. We have the op to get flu shots and some do but... certainly nowhere near half do get the shot and yet... still virtually nobody here (130+ people) have reported getting the flu. We have a wide rage of ages so ... don't blame it on age. At 60+ supposedly I should get a shot and yet for the last 22 plus years without flu shots I have yet to get the flu. Only time I've had issues is when I did get the flu shot and then felt flu symtoms for 2-3 days.

So when you government worshipers talk your story just doesn't ring true.

40% of the people who get the shots still get the flu? Poor results folks poor!

[cab_351]

do you trust your government to tell us the truth?? if you say no,,guess who runs the cdc??? you got it our gov. and uhs they sure the hell wont tell the truth,,they will tell us what they are told to tell us!

[rzarc2]

Sounds like you are suffering from the "conservative" virus. Most likely a specific strain, the TP derivative virus, the most deadly (to normal brain functioning) known to humankind.

LOL - what a loon!

[cab_351]

wow it only took the gov 4 years to develop and spread a strain good enough to become an epidemic

[Goofyhead100]

I have a co-worker who said she got a flu shot once years ago and it didn't prevent her from getting "stomach flu". So she will never get another one of those. She had no idea it was to help prevent influenza.....or doesn't know the difference, apparently. People can be so ignorant, it's scary.

[azfalcon55]

OK - let's make sure I understand this.....
Based on the people who showed up at a doctors office with the flu - 38% of them previously got a flu shot.... extrapolating that 62% of the people who showed up at a doctors office with the flu did not get a flu shot - thus the claim of a 62% effectiveness rate. Am I reading this right?

If I am reading this right, then who counts the people who got the flu and did not go to a doctor?

Anyone??

Cripes - Who is more likely to run to their doctor in the first place? The person who gets a flu shot every year or the person who does not?

[retmw1]

The ones that don't get the flu shot and run to the emergency room.