Flu epidemic declared in USA. The flu vaccine is ineffective.

Influenza in the United States officially reached epidemic levels, with active widespread in 35 states and 15 deaths. According to the Center for control and prevention of diseases, flu season this year will be very heavy. Experts warn that although the United States each year have a flu epidemic, this year the situation may worsen, since winter is harsh. “We’re already above the peak that we saw last year, and we’re increasing,” CDC medical officer Dr. Michael Jhung told the New York Times.

The spread of influenza virus may be due in part to the H3N2 flu strain circulating this year. Except that H3N2 tends to produce more hospitalized patients and deaths, the flu vaccine for this flu season will not protect completely against. Although influenza strain H3N2 has been included in the composition of influenza vaccine for this flu season, according to the Wall Street Journal virus started to mutate in March and this has led to inefficiency of flu vaccine against it.

“We could see a lot more illness because we have a lot less people who are immune,” Trish Perl, of the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control, told the Washington Post.

In order to be declared an epidemic, the flu and pneumonia have to cause 6.8 percent of all deaths ín a week under the CDC’s 122 Cítíes Mortalíty Reportíng System. Thís occurred duríng the week of Dec. 14-Dec. 20. H3N2 was also doublíng the hospítalízation rate. About 9.7 people per 100,000 had been hospítalízed with flu-related symptoms thís year so far. Last year, the rate was 4.3.

What are the main flu symptoms and what you should know if you are infected with influenza?

runny nose
chills / fever
sore throat
aching body

If you have the following symptoms AIDG most likely you have flu, and here’s what you should do:

Avoid contact with other people
Stay home
go to the nearest hospital if you have sudden dizziness, if you can not breathe or have pain in your chest.

Another 14-year-old girl from Redfield, Iowa died of flu last week. Amber Gray complained of flu-like symptoms on 21 december and a few days later died. Although Amber is vaccinated with the flu vaccine, things to heed her only one day. Five days later Amber died from pneumonia and sepsis – complications from influenza A.

Do you know how to do if you get flu? Are you relying on flu vaccine to protect you from influenza virus, or take other measures to strengthen the immune system? Share your opinion in the comments box!