As you may have seen, this year’s seasonal flu vaccination has been particularly ineffective. Typically, the seasonal flu vaccination has shown a 50-60 percent effectiveness rate. This year, that rate looks to be around 23 percent due to a mutation in the dominant H3N2 A flu strand. We’ve seen this in Indiana with a spike in flu-related death rates (at 108, up from 30 at this point last year) putting us at the highest rate of flu related deaths in 10 years.
Today, Dr. Bucshon will participate in a hearing Examining the U.S. Public Health response to seasonal influenza so that we are better prepared for the future and able protect our citizens from the spread of seasonal influenza. The committee will examine the strain selection decision-making process, how U.S. public health agencies are improving the effectiveness of response to seasonal flu, and the progress of Federal efforts into developing a universal flu vaccine, advanced diagnostics, new flu vaccine manufacturing technologies, and new anti-viral drugs for treatment of influenza.
Congressman Bucshon is expected to ask questions, from a medical perspective, regarding our preparedness and ability to prevent influenza outbreaks.
The hearing begins at 10:00am ET (9:00am CT). More background on the hearing and a live stream are available here –www.energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/examining-us-public-health-response-seasonal-influenza.
fat bastard
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