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Is the ordinary flu vaccine of varying effectiveness?

Saturday, December 5, 2020
By Laura Brickman
YES

The Centers for Disease Control conducts annual studies to estimate the effectiveness of flu vaccines. While there are variations in in the effectiveness of a vaccine in a given year, on average, "flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population," according to the CDC.

Variations due to age and underlying medical conditions impact the overall effectiveness of a given vaccine, as does the mix of viruses in circulation in the population in a given season. In the 2019-2020 season, the overall vaccine effectiveness across age groups for all vaccine types against Influenza A or B was 39%. Effectiveness was higher (42%) among people aged 50-64.

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