Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Flu Vaccine Only 25% Effective Against Most Common Strain, But Officials Still Urge People To Get Shot
The Washington Post: This Season's Flu Vaccine Is Only 36 Percent Effective, But Experts Say You Should Still Get It
This season’s flu vaccine offers limited protection against the viruses sweeping the country, with its overall effectiveness of 36 percent falling to 25 percent against the most virulent and predominant strain, according to a government report released Thursday. (Sun, 2/15)
The New York Times: The Flu Vaccine Is Working Better Than Expected, C.D.C. Finds
This year’s vaccine is about 25 percent effective against the H3N2 strain of flu that is causing most illnesses and deaths, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In a bigger surprise, the vaccine is about 51 percent effective in children, according to the C.D.C.’s preliminary analysis. In Australia, the same vaccine was rated about 10 percent effective overall against H3N2, and a recent Canadian analysis found it to be about 17 percent effective there. (McNeil, 2/15)
Stat: Flu Shot Didn't Protect Three-Quarters Of People Against Most Common Strain
While the vaccine was more effective against influenza B viruses (42 percent protection) and H1N1 viruses (67 percent protection), that is cold comfort given that those viruses have been much more minor players this flu season, at least to date. That is especially true of H1N1; only about 8 percent of people who had a positive flu test this season were infected with viruses from that influenza A family. (Branswell, 2/15)
The Wall Street Journal: Flu Vaccine Less Effective Than Earlier Estimates
During a briefing on Thursday, officials from the Department of Health and Human Services urged Americans to get flu shots, saying flu activity would likely remain intense for several more weeks. The main illness-causing strain of flu this season is the influenza A strain H3N2, known for its severity, according to the CDC, but both the A and B strains have proven serious and even deadly in past weeks. (Toy, 2/15)
NPR: Flu Vaccine Is More Protective Of Kids Than Older Adults This Year
"Even with current vaccine effectiveness estimates, vaccination will still prevent influenza illness, including thousands of hospitalizations and deaths," scientists from the CDC reported in the issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Thursday. And health officials say it's still not too late to get vaccinated — they expect flu season will last at least another few weeks. (Harris, 2/15)
Politico Pro: Trump Health Officials Urge Flu Shots, Predict More Children Will Die
“Given the severity of this year’s season, I spoke with President [Donald] Trump about the situation yesterday,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “We are committed to doing everything we can to make people aware of what they can do to avoid the flu and what they can do once they have it.” (Haberkorn, 2/15)
In other news —
Minnesota Public Radio: After Record Numbers, Flu Cases Drop Off Slightly
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 8 percent of all hospital visits nationwide are from the flu — rivaling the swine flu pandemic of 2009. The Minnesota Department of Health reports flu-related hospital stays are on track to surpass records from three years ago, when the H3N2 influenza virus put more than 4,000 Minnesotans in the hospital. (Enger, 2/15)
The Associated Press: 3 More Child Deaths From Flu Reported In Minnesota, Bringing Total To 4
State health officials say three more children have died of complications of the flu, bringing the number of Minnesota children who have died of influenza this season to four. The number of Minnesotans hospitalized with flu symptoms has topped 4,200. That’s the highest number since the Minnesota Department of Health began tracking flu hospitalizations in 2008. (2/15)
NPR: H7N4 Bird Flu Infects Chinese Woman
On Christmas Day last year, a 68-year-old woman in southern China came down with the flu. A week later she was hospitalized. The woman eventually recovered, but she spent three weeks in the hospital.The culprit? H7N4, a new type of bird flu. (Doucleff, 2/15)
Bloomberg: Nasty Flu Season Makes Things Worse For Health-Insurance Stocks
Health-insurance stocks have been taking a beating since Amazon.com, JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway announced an alliance to address the health-care needs of their workers late last month. A particularly nasty flu season isn’t helping any. Traders have been buying hospital stocks and selling insurers in a rotation that has become increasingly pronounced as this year’s strain of influenza proves unusually resilient, and the latest vaccine less effective than usual. (Flanagan, 2/15)
