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In the United States, less than four in 10 adults were vaccinated against influenza last winter, the lowest rate in seven seasons and one of the reasons the 2017-2018 season was the deadliest in decades.
The reports released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide new details describing the severity of the influenza season in which more people have been killed than any other seasonal flu since the 1970s.
Vaccination against influenza is the main way to prevent illness and death caused by influenza. But last season, adult vaccination coverage was 37.1%, a decrease of 6.2 percentage points from the previous season. This is the lowest rate for adults aged 18 and over since 2010-2011.
"It's huge – it's a striking inflection from the previous year," said William Schaffner, infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University and Medical Director of the National Foundation. for infectious diseases.
The data released Thursday also provide a comprehensive picture of the impact of last year's fatal respiratory virus. Some data on deaths and hospitalizations were released last month, but new details show the extent of last season's hardness. The CDC believes that:
* 49 million people have been infected with the flu, roughly the combined population of Texas and Florida.
* 960,000 people were hospitalized, more than the total number of hospital beds staffed in the United States.
* 79,000 people died, the average number of people attending the Superbowl. According to analyzes conducted more than three decades ago, the previous peak for a normal influenza season was 56,000 deaths.
The flu season of last winter has been devastating for several reasons. He was dominated by a particularly fierce viral strain. According to the experts, the seasons when H3N2 is dominant generally result in the greatest number of complications, especially for the very young and the oldest. Vaccines are also less effective against H3N2. The virus is changing rapidly, requiring new seasonal vaccine updates and making the immune system much more difficult to generate a good response.
The drop in vaccine coverage could also have contributed to the severity of last season, said Alicia Fry, head of epidemiology and prevention in the CDC's flu division. Although far from perfect, the influenza vaccine reduces the number of serious illnesses and complications such as hospitalization and admission to intensive care units.
Schaffner and CDC officials said the decline in immunization coverage may be linked to preliminary reports of low vaccine effectiveness in Australia. Influenza activity in the southern hemisphere can often predict the expectations of Americans.
"I think it really discouraged many people from getting vaccinated," said Schaffner, who also pointed out that the initial data was wrong.
It is too early to know if people "always keep this in mind," he said.
We still do not know what the next flu season will look like. Influenza activity is low, but a child death has already been reported. Last year's flu killed 183 children, the highest number since the federal health authorities began tracking infant mortality 14 years ago.
It takes about two weeks after the flu shot to get the body to have a complete immune response.
"It's the perfect time," said Fry of the CDC, noting that influenza activity was still relatively low.
This year, CDC officials hope to improve immunization coverage by helping doctors and nurses convince their patients to get the flu shot. A strong recommendation from a clinician makes all the difference in whether a person is vaccinated against the flu.
This year, the CDC has created new tools for clinicians, including videos, on the recommendation of a strong flu vaccine, said Cindy Weinbaum, deputy director of the CDC's Division of Immunization Services. This includes the identification and processing of all questions or concerns in simple and understandable language.
Before the shock of this winter's flu season, the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first new type of flu drug in two decades. Xofluza is a medicine for people 12 years and older. It can reduce the severity and reduce the duration of flu symptoms after a dose, say FDA officials.
But to get the maximum benefit, the drug should be taken within 48 hours of the onset of illness with the flu symptoms. The drug works by slowing the replication of the virus in the body. So, the sooner a person can take the medicine, the faster it can catch the infection and the better it works.
"If you start later, you already have a ton of viruses that is wreaking havoc," said Ms. Fry of the CDC, who wished more options for health care providers.
The drug was developed by the group Roche and Shionogi & Co.
During the severe influenza season of last winter, there was a shortage of Tamilu antiviral drugs and other generic antiviral drugs.
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