NIAID Head: We Made Flu Vaccine for Wrong Strain, But Americans Should Get it Anyway

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) today told ABC's Martha Raddatz that despite this year's flu vaccine being created for a strain that is not the current dominant strain, Americans should get it anyway.

RADDATZ: "One of the things clearly different about this year is the flu shots are not as effective, maybe just 60% effective."
FAUCI: "No, 30 something."
RADDATZ: "30 something."
FAUCI: "60 percent uneffective."
RADDATZ: "Uneffective and even worse than I thought."
FAUCI: "Yes."
RADDATZ: "So should people still get the shot."
FAUCI: "Absolutely. Martha, absolutely because even though it isn't a good match to what is circulating, with the H3N2, there is an H1N1 and B which matches well with the vaccine even though that's not the dominant strain. Even though it's not a good match to it, getting vaccinated can give you cross protection. It could be the difference between getting very sick or being just mildly sick, the difference between being hospitalized or not so strongly recommend it."
RADDATZ: "Tell me quickly how it happened that the flu shot is for the wrong virus."
FAUCI: "Well, flus drift and at a particular time when you have to make a decision about what to put into the vaccines usually do that around February. In February a certain strain was the strain that was in the community and it was felthat this was going to be the one. As you got into the end of March, April when you already starting making the vaccine it started to drift around and by the time you got to September, October, it drifted to the point where it was 67% a nonmatch. One thing we should remember is that when people get the flu, particularly people at high risk --"
RADDATZ: "Children, the elderly."
FAUCI: "They should get an antiviral drug and see their physicians because the anti-influenza drugs can be very helpful for people, particularly at high risk."
RADDATZ: "Very good advice. Thanks very much for joining us. Dr. Fauci.