Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disclosed that its latest vaccine is not totally effective against combating this season's flu strain, according to WND.
The news came after the health agency reported through a press release on Friday that the influenza virus continues to spread across various states in the United States.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the CDC, described the flu virus for the 2014 to 2015 season as severe.
He noted that the illness commonly infects the elderly or those who are 65 years old and over and children under five years old. People with existing medical condition are also susceptible to contract the virus.
According to the CDC, this season's strain is an evolved form of the H3N2 virus. A closer analysis of the virus revealed it bears characteristics different from previous H3N2 virus.
This means that the new vaccine, which was designed to combat previous forms of the H3N2 virus, may not cure those infected with the mutated strain.
"Most of the H3N2 viruses circulating are 'drifted' or different from the H3N2 vaccine virus: suggesting that the vaccine's ability to protect against viruses may be reduced," the CDC stated in the press release.
"Two factors play an important role in determining the likelihood that the flu vaccines will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health) and 2) the similarity or 'match' between the flu viruses in the vaccine and those spreading in the community," the agency continued.
Despite this, the CDC strongly advises the public to get vaccinated and use anti-viral drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These branded drugs are Tamiflu, Relenza and Rapivab.
Frieden said that the use of these drugs can significantly contribute to slowing down the spread of this season's flu virus.
"If more people with flu-like symptoms, particularly the elderly and those with other conditions including asthma, diabetes or renal illness, got treated with antiviral drugs, we could prevent tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths," the director said during a media briefing.
