16th February 2008 – Despite getting vaccination shots, people still are infected by influenza virus. This calls for concern and further research for development of new vaccines.

According to officials at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 52 percent of flu infection cases in the US have was as a result of strains that are not present in the current vaccine. The flu virus has been reported to infect many people in the US specifically in several parts of the Washington.

What do experts say?

According to health experts, these reasons should not turn people against vaccines for flu infections. They said that vaccines provide some protection against infections, as the strains that are absent in the current vaccine are descended from other ones that do have vaccines.

Joseph S. Bresee, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s influenza division said, “This season, we are seeing more disease out there and probably higher rates of hospitalization and death than we have seen in the last couple of years.” He further said, “It is not an atypical season” if compared with rates of flu infection in the past two decades.

Flu infection gripping US states

According to the CDC, health officials in 44 states of US including Maryland and Virginia are reporting widespread flu infections among people.

According to officials of Montgomery County School, nearly 20 schools have reported absence of more than 10 percent of students due to possible reasons of flu virus. The virus has also affected university students.

According to reports, more than 200,000 US people end up in hospitals due to flu infections every year and many even die.

Flu virologists meet at the end of every season to decide the strategy for the next year’s vaccine. US health officials said this season’s vaccine is facing difficulty to remove flu due to possibility of a new strain that was identified last February.

The WHO has also put down its recommendations for next year’s vaccine that should be composed of three strains of the virus currently circulating in the US regions. This also includes the two strains that are responsible for more than half of the current cases of flu in the US.

This is adding to frustration among people, as they have to take days off at work and stay at home. Health officials in the US are urging people to take flu vaccines, as it may provide some resistance if not fully protect against strains. This will help people cut out the frustration caused by influenza virus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The strains of flu virus can infect people even after taking vaccination. This is becoming common in many regions of the US.