With the flu season less than half over, at least two young people in Ohio have died from the illness, including a 13-year-old Cleveland girl last week.
is an infectious disease specialist at Akron Children鈥檚 Hospital. He said some patients are concerned that the vaccine will actually bring on the flu, or that it simply is not effective.
鈥淭he vaccine could maybe show as little as 20 percent effectiveness in some years. But the important thing is, A) that鈥檚 not the norm. Generally we have good matches with good effectiveness. And B) just because it doesn鈥檛 prevent disease doesn鈥榯 mean it doesn鈥檛 lessen disease," Bower said.
鈥淭he flu vaccine is very effective. It鈥檚 a matter of just recognizing that nothing鈥檚 100 percent, but flu vaccine this year is probably 50 percent or more in terms of effectiveness.鈥�
Dr. Bower said there is still time to get a flu shot 鈥� especially for minors, the elderly and people with respiratory problems who are most at-risk.
He adds that this year鈥檚 vaccine is very well-matched to the strain of flu going around, and even patients who have already been sick once this year can still get the flu again.
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