Infectious disease doctor explains recommended change to flu shot formula – WCVB Boston

Infectious disease doctor explains recommended change to flu shot formula

Updated: 5:03 PM EST Mar 5, 2024

WALK TO GET THAT ICE CREAM INSTEAD OF KEEPING IT IN YOUR FREEZER AND JUST MOMENTS AGO, VACCINE EXPERTS FOR THE FDA VOTED TO RECOMMEND A BIG CHANGE IN THE FORMULA FOR THE ANNUAL FLU SHOT THIS FALL. SO HERE TO EXPLAIN IS DOCTOR TODD ELLEN. HES THE CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. HES A FAMILIAR FACE HERE ON NEWSCENTER FIVE. GREAT TO SEE YOU DOCTOR. TO SEE YOU. SO LETS TALK ABOUT THAT. LETS SET THIS THING UP FOR OUR VIEWERS OKAY. THERE ARE THERE ARE TWO STRAINS OF THE FLU RIGHT. A AND B THATS RIGHT. AND EACH OF THOSE HAS SUBTYPES. CORRECT. AND IN MOST RECENT WEEK OF DATA WITH NEARLY 2400 PEOPLE HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS TESTED POSITIVE FOR INFLUENZA A AND ABOUT 589 FOR INFLUENZA B. SO WHY ARE HEALTH OFFICIALS INTERESTED IN CHANGING THE RECIPE FOR THE SHOT? SO THIS IS FASCINATING. SINCE 2012, WEVE GIVEN PATIENTS WHAT WE CALL THE QUADRIVALENT FLU SHOT. TWO AS AND TWO BS, TWO AS AND TWO BS. BUT SOMETHING FUNNY HAPPENED WITH COVID FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS. SINCE MARCH OF 2020, ONE OF THOSE B SUBTYPES CALLED YAMAGATA OKAY, HAS DISAPPEARED. WE HAVENT DISAPPEARED. WE HAVENT SEEN IT IN FOUR YEARS, SO IT MAY BE EXTINCT. WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY, DOES FOUR YEARS SUGGEST IT MAY BE EXTINCT? BY DEFINITION, YOU USUALLY SAY AFTER TWO YEARS, IF YOU DONT SEE IT, ITS OKAY. BUT BUT YOU KNOW, SO. SO WHAT THE FDA IS BASICALLY SAYING IS WE DONT WE SHOULD REMOVE THIS STRAIN THAT WAS NEEDED FOR MANY YEARS. BUT ITS NOT NEEDED NOW BECAUSE WERE NOT SEEING IT. WE DONT WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE A STRAIN THATS DISAPPEARED GLOBALLY. COULD THIS ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN A BENEFIT FROM COVID OR. NO, YOU CANT. WERE NOT GOING TO GO THAT FAR. LISTEN, I THINK ITS A SILVER LINING. SILVER LINING. YES. SO WHAT IF THE STRAIN COMES BACK AND IM GLAD YOU SAID THAT BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? NEVER UNDERESTIMATE INFLUENZA. IT COULD BE EXTINCT. BUT REMEMBER, WE SURVEIL, WE DO SURVEILLANCE AROUND THE GLOBE. BUT IN TROPICAL COUNTRIES, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE NOT QUITE AS GOOD. SO IT COULD BE HIDING OUT SOMEWHERE. IF IT COMES BACK, THEN THE FDA IS GOING TO BE MEETING AGAIN AND GOING TO MAKE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS. YEAH. SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS THE EASY PART IS SAYING TO REMOVE THIS OKAY. AND THE FDA WAS UNANIMOUS ABOUT THIS. BUT BUT A LITTLE BIT HARDER PART IS THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IS ACTUALLY CHANGING FROM THE QUADRIVALENT TO THE TRIVALENT. IT SOUNDS EASY, BUT ITS NOT QUITE AS EASY AS REMOVING BLUEBERRIES FROM YOUR OATMEAL. THEY HAVE TO DO A LOT OF STEPS. ITS A GOOD ANALOGY. YEAH, THERES A LOT OF QUALITY MANUFACTURING THEYVE GOT. AND REMEMBER, ITS NOT JUST THE US, BUT ITS GLOBALLY. SO BUT THEYRE GOING TO DO THEIR BEST TO MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR THIS NE

Infectious disease doctor explains recommended change to flu shot formula

Updated: 5:03 PM EST Mar 5, 2024

After FDA vaccine experts vote to recommend a change to the annual flu shot, Dr. Todd Ellerin explains the reason and the potential implications.

After FDA vaccine experts vote to recommend a change to the annual flu shot, Dr. Todd Ellerin explains the reason and the potential implications.

Here is the original post:

Infectious disease doctor explains recommended change to flu shot formula - WCVB Boston