Flu Cases Drop 18% as Vaccine Proves Effective After All

Good news is flowing in from health experts who spent weeks concerned about this year's brutal flu season.

The CDC reported an 18% drop in confirmed flu cases this week, with hospitalizations plunging by nearly 55%. Even better, recent research confirms the flu vaccine is working against this year's highly mutated H3N2 strain, despite early worries it wouldn't be a good match.

"With this K clade, we can still say the flu vaccine is helpful, especially for keeping you out of the hospital," said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University. That's a relief after experts feared the shot wouldn't protect against the variant causing most infections this season.

Doctor visits for respiratory illnesses dropped more than 5% compared to last week. While some states like Idaho, New Mexico and New York are still seeing high flu activity, the nationwide trend is moving in the right direction.

The current flu shot protects against three strains, including the H3N2 variant that mutated significantly this year. Researchers worried those mutations would make the vaccine less effective, but testing showed it still provides strong protection against severe illness.

The Bright Side

This season started rough, with hospitalizations around New Year's hitting the second highest level in a decade. The fact that cases are declining now, combined with proof the vaccine works, means people still have time to get protected.

Beth Carlton, a public health professor at the University of Colorado, notes that while the nationwide trend looks promising, different communities will experience the decline at different times. Rural areas often see flu peak later than cities, so the good news may take a few more weeks to reach everyone.

The vaccine's effectiveness matters especially for children. Among pediatric deaths this season where vaccination status was known, 90% were in kids who hadn't received the flu shot.

Public health experts remain cautiously optimistic while reminding people that last year saw a second flu peak in early February after an initial dip. But the confirmed vaccine effectiveness gives Americans a proven tool to protect themselves as winter continues.

Scientists can now confidently say the shot helps, particularly at preventing the severe outcomes that land people in hospitals.