Health Officials Warn Of Seasonal Flu Outbreak
By: Jocelyn Tovar, KARK 4 NEWS
Updated: January 10, 2013
The Arkansas Department of Health is warning we're only half way through what's already been an intense year for the dangerous virus.
They're making this declaration based on the intensity of the cases they're seeing.
Also not all the strains of the flu virus are actually covered when you get that flu shot.
Officials said they determined which strains are included by watching the ones that spread then try to plan accordingly, but some simply slip through the cracks.
Also even when the shot contains the strain you're exposed to you can still get sick.
"Over 90% of those virus strains are actually in the vaccine," said Dr. Gary Wheeler. "So we feel those people are what we call 'vaccine failures' it just didn't work as well for them as for the other people who are still well. "
They still encourage getting the shot because, despite all its shortcomings, still has an 80% success rate.
They're making this declaration based on the intensity of the cases they're seeing.
Also not all the strains of the flu virus are actually covered when you get that flu shot.
Officials said they determined which strains are included by watching the ones that spread then try to plan accordingly, but some simply slip through the cracks.
Also even when the shot contains the strain you're exposed to you can still get sick.
"Over 90% of those virus strains are actually in the vaccine," said Dr. Gary Wheeler. "So we feel those people are what we call 'vaccine failures' it just didn't work as well for them as for the other people who are still well. "
They still encourage getting the shot because, despite all its shortcomings, still has an 80% success rate.
