Health Officials Admit Flu Shot Hardly Works

Many health officials around the country are predicting an intense flu season. The dire prediction is using this year’s Australian flu outbreak as the measuring stick and prediction mechanism. Because Australia has given us insight into what sorts of strains to expect, officials can also apply success and failure rates to vaccines. Flu vaccine distribution in Australia is heavy.

So what were the results? Officially, the flu shot was 10% effective. Worse more is the fact that Australia’s flu season was an especially harsh one, leading some critics to grow concerned as to whether or not the flu shot was not only poor at preventing flu, but also a contributor to its onset.

Of course, this hasn’t stopped health officials from recommending that people take the failed flu shot.

“Ten percent seems low, but the main thing is you rather have something rather than nothing,” said Dallas County Health and Human Services clinic nurse Tammara Scroggins to Fox4News.

The CDC says that Massachusetts, Georgia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma are already experiencing flu outbreaks.

“The vaccine antibodies usually take about two weeks to develop in your body,” Scroggins said.

Health officials say now is the perfect time for added protection – even if it’s only 10 percent.