Flu vaccines didn't work that well in the US, officials find

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MIKE STOBBE
Updated 12:59 PM CDT, March 13, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. flu season winds down, health officials say the flu vaccine didn’t work very well, with one of its worst effectiveness rates in more than a decade.

A new strain that dominated the early winter was not well matched to the vaccine, leading to an intense early onslaught of flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday posted data that showed a continued decline in doctor’s office and hospital visits for flu symptoms through last week. The number of states reporting high flu activity dropped to 16, many of them in a belt stretching from Colorado to Virginia.

“The winter respiratory virus season is slowly coming to a close, and we’re all very grateful for that,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/flu-season-cdc-subclade-k-vaccination-11952f89201d2396ec0c52461441c82b

[Aristus]

1. Gee. It's almost as if you need competent people to do things right.

[paleotn]

4. Even competent people have a tough time figuring out.....

which flu variants will predominate. No easy task. A game of probabilities that sometimes doesn't turn out the way even trained minds think it might. The people who make those determinations are generally in the bowels of FDA and not the thin veneer of Shitler appointees. Imagine trying to do that job, hard as it is, with utter morons running things at the top.

[Johonny]

2. It worked okay for me

Mild case in December, but actually better than the year before when I got full up flu for the first time since 2019.

[Lemon Lyman]

3. Yup

It kicked my ASS, despite the vaccination. I got it from the coughing-all-over-the-place pharmacist, who should know better (don't go to work sick, wear a mask if you do, if you're coughing - take something to tamp down the cough). It started on Thu, 2/12/26. It took forever to get past it. Over 1 month later I still sound weird when I talk (throat/nasal).

[slightlv]

11. After 2 months

I still get bad coughing jags and mig
raines. Most nights only soup sounds good for supper. The rest of the day I don't even want anything to eat.

[twodogsbarking]

13. I struggle too with appetite but not from the flu. Hang in.

[Raftergirl]

5. It's sometimes not a good match. This is not a new phenomenon.

I’ve been very lucky and have never had the flu, but I get the flu shot every year.

I haven’t even had a sniffle since before Covid (and obviously have never had Covid, unless I was completely asymptomatic.)

[Kablooie]

6. Could the dismantling of vaccine development have had something to do with it?

Hmmm. I wonder.

[Ilsa]

7. Even a flu vax that doesn't work well might help

prevent the most severe symptoms or shorten the term of illness.

I'm worried about the next flu season. The predictions for this last season probably came from experienced epidemiologists. I guess many of those people could be gone after DOGE and RFK Jr.

[love_katz]

8. This is reason gazillion in favor of wearing a mask in public places.

I don't think I will ever feel safe in public enclosed spaces without a mask after the pandemic.
I figured out a couple of years before the pandemic that I am very susceptible to airborne viruses. No amount of hand washing, using hand sanitizer and avoiding touching my face made any difference. Wearing a mask most definitely does.
I'm not saying that hand washing is worthless, but masks work much more reliably for me at warding off sickness.

[C Moon]

9. I got a slight stuffy nose and slight aches, so I think it worked for me. Beats the real bug.

[Historic NY]

10. I must have lucked out I got mine fairly early

then again I tend to avoid people as much as possible .

[beveeheart]

12. Got the flu shot in September and have the flu now.

Stayed in bed days 1 and 2. Got up around noon, dressed, watched TV in the living room. My daughter ordered food for us because I've only been eating chicken noodle soup and crackers. Still have headache and a cough that goes on and on. Thankful that the nausea has stopped.