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Weak vaccine surprises health officials

By: Emily Bregel
(Contact)

Included in this article

Margaret Zylstra

Shawan Swearingin of Ringgold, Ga., thought she was on the ball this flu season.

She and her husband and their two children got vaccinated when the shots were offered last fall. She emphasized hand washing to her 2-year-old and 4-year-old to ward off daycare center germs.

Despite her best efforts, both children now are flu-struck.

“It’s frustrating. ... You try to stay one step ahead of things,” she said. “The main thing I’m worried about is my husband and I getting sick.”

The flu season has picked up in Chattanooga and across the nation. Reports that this year’s flu vaccine is ineffective against most strains of the flu have surprised federal health officials.

Staff Photo by Meghan Brown-- Shawan Swearingin holds her daughter, Layne, as lab technician Sky Lawson takes a blood sample from the 2-year-old Tuesday at Pediatric Diagnostic Associates in Memorial Building East.

Last week the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that this year’s influenza vaccine is only effective against 40 percent of influenza viruses infecting people this season, while a high-performing vaccine protects against 70 percent to 90 percent of viruses.

Locally, 416 reports of influenza-like illness were reported in week six of the flu season, the week ended Feb. 9. That’s up from 155 cases reported the week before, according to local health department data.

The number of reports coming from doctor’s offices were even higher last week, officials said, though the final numbers have not been tallied.

“We’re seeing it all day long,” said Chattanooga pediatrician Dr. Peter Rawlings, past president of the Chattanooga and Hamilton County Medical Society.

“There have been a lot of people coming in with strep throat and flu.” he said. “Talk about sick little puppies.”

Nationally 44 states reported widespread flu activity in week six of the flu season, up from 31 states the week before, according to the CDC. Ten children have died this flu season.

But the uptick in flu cases should not alarm anyone, as the flu season typically peaks around February, said Margaret Zylstra, epidemiology manager with the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department. The flu season seemed late this year because last year’s flu season peaked unexpectedly early, in December, she said.

“It doesn’t look like it’s abnormal for this time of year,” Ms. Zylstra said.

Developing the season’s flu vaccine is an inexact science: Each year around February health officials track flu cases to determine what three strains of influenza should be included in the vaccine for the next year’s flu season, Ms. Zylstra said. But those predictions aren’t always right.

“Those choices for what’s going to be included in the vaccine is based on ... what has been circulating in the current flu season,” she said. “It happens every couple of years that there’s a new strain that was kind of unexpected or came out after the decision had been made as to what to include in the vaccine.”

Health officials choose two strains of the Type A family of the flu and one from the Type B family, Ms. Zylstra said. But this year two out of three strains in the vaccine turned out to be bad matches for the strains of the flu that are circulating.

Though a less-than-stellar vaccine is not unheard of, the weakness of this year’s vaccine led the World Health Organization to recommend that next season’s vaccine be different from the current vaccine, CDC officials said.

Health officials here and at the federal level emphasized that a flu shot is worthwhile; the vaccine still protects against one out of the three strains of flu that are circulating and it also provides “cross protection,” CDC officials said.

“Even if you get the flu, it will make your symptoms milder,” said Arleen Porcell, spokeswoman for the CDC.

The vaccine will be available locally through April, Ms. Zylstra said.

Chattanooga firefighter Chris Warren said the flu shot appears to have helped his 3-year-old twins, who go to Mill Creek Country Day School.

“Either it’s been effective or we’ve been real lucky,” he said. “Just washing hands makes a huge difference.”

Dr. Rawlings said sick patients who come in within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms can typically treat the flu with antiviral Tamiflu.

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