A lot fewer laid low with flu this year

Last year there was a relatively high mortality rate connected with flu, but the situation this year appears to be very different

Stephen Gadd

Feb 25, 2019

Unlike the one administered last year, this year’s flu vaccine seems to be working according to plan when it comes to preventing the illness.

Figures compiled by the state serum laboratory Statens Serum Institut (SSI) reveal that if you have been vaccinated, the risk of catching flu is significantly reduced, reports Politiken.

In concrete terms, it is between 32 and 43 percent lower.

“The study shows that vaccination is still the best form of prevention we have against flu. Even though it does not protect you 100 percent, this year the risk of contracting the disease has been almost halved if you’ve had the vaccine,” said , Hanne-Dorthe Emborg, a senior researcher from SSI.

Type-casting
Last year, the flu type in circulation was the B type, and that was not included in the vaccine so many people became ill and a higher number of elderly and vulnerable people died as a result.

This year, the epidemic is type A flu and the vaccination will protect you against that.

“It’s good to publicise this, so that anyone who is ill and needs to be protected against flu can be vaccinated with a clear conscience,” added Emborg.

A heady cocktail
However, there are always challenges when it comes to deciding what cocktail makes up the vaccine. This is a decision made by the World Health Organization.

“The problem with influenza is that it can change an awful lot from year to year, so it is almost impossible to predict. We try every year, but we can’t be sure,” said Emborg.