Amen to that - just how does the CDC know all of that about the flu? We are forced to have the vaccine at work, but no one ever asks if anyone actually got the flu - they don’t care. No way can CDC know what strain unless they are doing lab tests, which I highly doubt. Some how I just don’t believe any of this garbage that comes out of the federal Govt.
To answer your first question; just how does the CDC know all of that about the flu? each year, three strains are chosen for selection in that year's flu vaccination by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network. The chosen strains are the H1N1, H3N2, and Type-B strains thought most likely to cause significant human suffering in the coming season. Due to the high mutation rate of the virus a particular vaccine formulation is effective for at most about a year. The World Health Organization coordinates the contents of the vaccine each year to contain the most likely strains of the virus to attack the next year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_vaccine#Annual_reformulation_of_flu_vaccine
Basically WHO monitors cases of influenza worldwide and by monitoring flu outbreaks in areas of the world where they are most likely to originate from (Asia most typically) they can identify the most prevalent strains from the previous year, monitors if and how they are mutating and looks for any immerging strains developing early in this year that are likely to spread later in the year worldwide and factor them into this year’s vaccine. This is coordinated with the CDC in the US.
The “forecast” of what strains of flu will be most prevalent and or most dangerous varies in accuracy from year to year (think of hurricane forecasts – much more accurate than ever before but still not 100% accurate) but the good news for anyone who got a flu shot this year is that this year’s flu shot covers the strains most prevalent – this year’s shot is a very good match for the most prevalent and most likely the most dangerous strains.
No way can CDC know what strain unless they are doing lab tests, which I highly doubt
Actually lab tests play a huge role in monitoring immerging flu strains and determining the three strains that go into every year’s flu vaccine.
We are forced to have the vaccine at work, but no one ever asks if anyone actually got the flu - they don’t care.
Without knowing in what sort of business you work for or in that “forces” you to get a flu shot, if however you are working in a healthcare field, I am pretty sure that the CDC monitors cases of influenza among healthcare workers as that can be a bell weather, a canary in the coal mine for a better term in detecting early signs of a pandemic. The company I work for, a manufacturing company provides free flu shots but it is not mandatory. If I decline to the get a flu shot and later am out sick with the flu I’m not sure what my company should “track” but if I got a flu shot and was diagnosed as having contracted the flu strain that I should have been vaccinated for when I got my flu shot, I was given the batch number and all sorts of information on the vaccine including a toll free number to call if I experienced any adverse effects or contracted the flu later and our insurance company who paid for the vaccine, and the pharma who produced the vaccine, would both be very interested in knowing about any potential problems or failings.
Some how I just don’t believe any of this garbage that comes out of the federal Govt.
I understand your cynicism however when it comes to communicable diseases, tracking them and monitoring vaccination programs, the CDC is one government agency that overall, does a pretty good job at what they do.
Just saw this very thing on the morning news. It's all a guess and I don't want to chance a roll of the dice that they picked the right strain. Then it's always evolving. I dunno but it's starting to look like the more they vacinate, the more it mutates so one day soon we'll have a super flu that we can't handle. What I don't understand is the flu "season". The weather is warmer than normal this year yet the flu started early. Sometimes it starts in cold weather and sometimes it's warm. Some neighbors have had the flu for six weeks or longer and have been hospitalized so that throws the "season" back into October at least. I think I'll stick with handwashing and suppliments.