Covering for co-workers who came
down with the flu this year, even though they got their flu shots? You're not
alone. A new report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention indicates that this year's influenza vaccine was on average just
56 percent effective, USAToday reported.
In the past, the CDC has estimated that flu shots
were 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing the illness. The new estimate for
the vaccine's effectiveness is slightly lower than the 62 percent estimated
effectiveness the CDC gave in January.
The vaccine was found to be as little as
9 percent effective for seniors in preventing the flu. Experts say drug
companies feel little pressure to develop a more effective vaccine because
public perception has been that the current shots are adequate.
CDC officials
also advise that moderate protection by getting immunized is better than no
protection at all.