Flu Shot Less Effective

The peak of flu season is just a month away and there’s already some bad news.

The CDC says the current virus has mutated, making this year’s vaccine less effective. Health officials noticed a different strain of the virus and it’s too late to make any adjustments to the vaccine.

“Flu activities have been very low in California and locally but the Center of Disease Control has looked at some data from other parts of the country where the flu season is picking up and found that the predominant stain is H3N1 which in the past has been a more severe type of the flu,” said Takashi Wada, M.D., director of Santa Barbara Health Department..

The CDC still recommends everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated. It can still decrease the severity of the illness.