Flu vaccine ‘ineffective against this season’s main circulating strain’

The flu vaccine on offer to UK patients has not proven effective in stopping the spread of the main circulating strain seen so far this season, according to a report.

Research from Public Health England, based on the results from 1,314 patients presenting in primary care across the UK, has found that vaccine effectiveness in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza stands at only three percent this year.

This is considerably lower than the 50 percent vaccine success rate seen in recent years and has occurred as a result of a mismatch between the A(H3N2) strain selected for the vaccine and the main A(H3N2) strain that has been circulating in the UK this winter.

Dr Richard Pebody, Public Health England's head of flu surveillance, explained that it would not be possible to change the vaccine at this late stage, while noting that vaccination remains a generally effective way of protecting against the disease.

He said: "It's not possible to fully predict the strains that will circulate in any given season, and there is always a risk of a drift occurring, as we have seen this year."

The vaccine is generally offered to people who are likely to be most vulnerable to infection, including the very young and very old, those with pre-existing health conditions, and pregnant women.