Flu season is here and if you got vaccinated, there's some strong evidence that this year's vaccine will steer you clear from the winter-time illness.
Univera Health says the vaccine seems to effectively target this year's strain that is sweeping the state.
"If you could play the lottery and know many of the winning numbers in advance, wouldn't you go out of your way to get a ticket?" said Univera Healthcare Chief Medical Officer for Health Care Improvement Matthew Bartels. "Makers of the flu vaccine use global tracking and predictive reasoning to choose targeted strains for public consumption. Our early look at New York State Department of Health data indicates that this year's vaccine protects against the right strains."
Bartels says less than half of upstate New York adults usually get a flu shot each year. He says increasing this number, especially this year when vaccine seems to be so effective, will improve the community's health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu vaccine is created to prevent against three or four flu strains during the flu season, which typically goes from October to May. The CDC says different flu strains can circulate at different times.
