"This season's vaccines were around 25% to 30% effective in preventing adults from getting sick enough from the flu that they had to go to a doctor's office, clinic or hospital, according to a CDC report this week. Children who were vaccinated were about 40% less likely to get treatment at a doctor's office or hospital. Officials generally are pleased if a flu vaccine is 40% to 60% effective."
"The new strain belonged to a category of flu virus, called A H3N2. This new version, subclade K, seemed to spread more easily - though it did not necessarily cause more severe illness. The vaccine available for this season was built to address a different version of H3N2, and the new strain's explosion is a likely explanation for why the vaccine was less effective."
"Flu infections surged in late December and were especially intense in some parts of the country. New York City health officials called it the most intense season in 20 years. Relatively low flu vaccination rates did not help, but experts also blamed the new flu strain that was causing most infections."
The 2024 flu season demonstrated significantly reduced vaccine effectiveness, with adult protection rates of 25-30% and child protection around 40%. A new H3N2 subclade strain dominated early winter infections but was not well-matched to the available vaccine formulation. This mismatch explains the poor effectiveness, as the vaccine was designed for a different H3N2 version. The season saw intense flu activity in late December, with New York City experiencing its most severe season in 20 years. By late winter, flu activity declined substantially, with only 16 states reporting high activity. Low vaccination rates compounded the problem, though experts primarily attributed the poor outcomes to the strain mismatch rather than vaccination rates alone.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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