Experts: Focusing On Vaccine’s Effectivness While Deciding Whether To Get Flu Shot Misses Key Point
The vaccine this year had a low effective rate against the most common strain, but that doesn't mean people shouldn't get the shot. It still reduces your chances of severe consequences from the flu, experts say.
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Should You Get A Flu Shot If Vaccine Is Only 36 Percent Effective?
Some might see the government’s latest estimate that this year’s flu vaccine has been only 36 percent effective against the virus as reason not to bother with getting a flu shot. But relying on a single number to make that decision, experts say, misses a key point: Even if it doesn’t keep you from getting sick, the flu shot reduces the chances of severe flu consequences. (Sisson, 2/15)
In other public health news —
East Bay Times:
Breaking Through The HIV Vaccine ‘Logjam’: UC Santa Cruz Lab Reports Improvements That Could Prove Game-Changing
When biomolecular engineer Phil Berman began his postgraduate work at UC San Francisco in the 1980s, he had no idea he would spend the rest of his career searching for a way to stop a deadly virus that was then almost entirely known. But around him, as if from nowhere, hundreds of people began to die. He has spent the past three decades looking for an effective vaccine against the AIDS epidemic that would claim more than 20,000 lives in the coastal metropolis alone. (Ibarra, 2/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Fragranced Products To Blame For Smog As Much As Cars, Study Finds
In another blow to vanity, a new study finds that shampoos, moisturizers and colognes people use every day cause just as much smog as the exhaust spewing out of car and truck engines on the streets and highways. The study, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and UC Davis, establishes a stronger link than ever before between air pollution and the lotions, perfumes, hair sprays, and other grooming and cleaning products that Bay Area residents use every day. (Fimrite, 2/15)