Question about "just the flu"

[matt819]

Every year for at least the past ten years I’ve gotten my regular flu vaccine. I understand that the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to counter the three or four strains projected to proliferate.

Question: Are these seasonal flu viruses the same throughout the US or among different countries? I think the answer is yes re the US but no re worldwide. Am I right?

[drray23]

1. They are many strains and they mutate every year.

So much so that some years the vaccine is ineffective because the virologists guess wrongly on which strain will dominate.
So, the answer is no. There are various strains and we never know for sure ahead of flu season.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. There are four main flu viruses; humans are susceptible to three of them.

Among those there are several "variations." For example, under Influenza A, you get Spanish flu/swine flue, bird flu, etc.

[Ms. Toad]

3. You've actually put your finger on why the flu vacine is typically less than 50% effective

The flu mutates as it moves around the world. We base our vaccine on the strains that are prevalent (in part) in the in the southern hemisphere which has flu season before us- but they often change before they get here.

There is a northern hemisphere version & a southern hemisphere version. You can see how close they are here: https://www.who.int/influenza/vaccines/virus/recommendations/en/

All in all, it's sort of like the game of whisper - the comment made to the first listener is often quite different from the comment that circles back.

[GeorgeGist]

4. +1 and THANKS.

[matt819]

5. So, just to confirm

Those say this is just the flu are fucking morons, right?

I got thinking earlier why trump is fucking up the response. Of course, he just doesn’t care about anybody. But, more importantly, this is the way he likes it. Incomplete and unreliable information, uncertainty, xenophobia, hatred, and fear. What will be Remarkable is that even when “his people” start dying, a) he won’t care and b) his followers will still follow.

[Ms. Toad]

6. Yes.

Influenza is caused by a completlly different virus than COVID 19. Sort of like saying that a bear is just a camel because they are both mammals.