Saturday, February 14, 2009

Flu cases surge due to vaccine problems

11 hrs ago

DENVER - Flu season has been underway for weeks, it's been a mild one, and we haven't heard much about it, until now.

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Health officials are reporting a sudden surge in flu cases, and they've pinpointed at least one reason why.

The Centers for Disease Control says every state is now reporting flu, with widespread outbreaks in 16 states, including Colorado.

This year there are two additional problems. One of the major strains of A influenza , the most serious type, is resistant to the drug Tamiflu, often used to treat symptoms and once conceived as the future defense against a severe outbreak - a pandemic

"We're very concerned now that Tamiflu may not be as useful in pandemic circumstances or even year to year now as it has been in the past," Dr. William Schaffner with Vanderbilt University said.

Another problem, the vaccine offers no protection against this year's B influenza, which is not as serious, but can still make people miserable.

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