Skip to main content
Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Vaccine no match against flu bug that popped up near end of season

A dose of flu vaccine is seen at the Alexian Brothers PACE facility on Sept. 22, 2016, in Chattanooga. Food City across the area will offer flu vaccines this year.
A dose of flu vaccine is seen at the Alexian Brothers PACE facility on Sept. 22, 2016, in Chattanooga. Food City across the area will offer flu vaccines this year. A dose of flu vaccine is seen at the Alexian Brothers PACE facility on Sept. 22, 2016, in Chattanooga. Food City across the area will offer flu vaccines this year.

By Associated Press 2 min read

ATLANTA – The flu vaccine turned out to be a big disappointment again.

The vaccine didn’t work against a flu bug that popped up halfway through the past flu season, dragging down overall effectiveness to 29%, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.

The flu shot was working well early in the season with effectiveness put at 47% in February. But it was virtually worthless during a second wave driven by a tougher strain, at just 9%.

There was “no significant protection” against that strain, said the CDC’s Brendan Flannery.

Flu vaccines are made each year to protect against three or four different kinds of flu virus. The ingredients are based on predictions of what strains will make people sick the following winter.