Vaccine cuts risk of influenza illness by about half, BCCDC finds

A new study has found the influenza vaccine is providing substantial protection during this year's early and ongoing flu season.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control said preliminary findings show thevaccine has cut the risk of influenza illnessby about half.

"We will update our analyses in the new year, but these interim findings show a substantial reduction in the risk of influenza illness for vaccinated people who seek medical care."said Dr. Danuta Skowronski, physician epidemiologist at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).

Skowronski says theflu season's early arrivalmeans theywere able to get estimates on vaccine efficacy sooner than normal.

"It's nice to be able to deliver some good news going into the holiday period," she said.

The early findings came fromthe Canadian Sentinel Practitioners Surveillance Network (SPSN), which is headquartered at the BCCDC and includes hundreds of primary care providers in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Skowronski says theirestimates on the performanceof the annually-revised influenza vaccine are sent to the World Health Organization to help it make decisions on future flu vaccines.

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The majority of flucases this season have been due to the H3N2 subtype of influenza A, whichthe BCCDC saysis often associated with more severe epidemics and lower vaccine effectiveness comparedother typesof influenza A or B.

Skowronski said this year'svaccine isproviding good protection against theH3N2 subtype.

She notes that older people can have a harder time with the H3N2 viruses.

"If they haven't been vaccinated yet, now is the time to get vaccinated," she said.

Seniors who wantadded protection, especially if they have high-risk conditions, may also want to consider having a conversation with their primary care provider about access to treatment options such as oseltamivir, sold under the brand name Tamiflu, according toSkowronski.

Skowronskisays we may be on the downslope of theepidemic curve, but that doesn't mean people should not get vaccinated.

The virus willis likely to becirculatingfor several more weeks, she said, and social gatherings during the holidays could amplify its spread. She also notesa secondary wave due to influenza B sometimes arrives later inthe season.

B.C's Minister of Health, Adrian Dix, is also advocating for those who've yet to be vaccinated against flu to do so now.

"Vaccines are available for everyone six months and older in B.C. and these preliminary findings show how vaccination remains our best defence against respiratory illnesses," he saidin a release.

"By getting vaccinated against influenza, you can help protect our public health system and the young children and elderly people around you."