How to Beat the Flu This Year Flu Shot Q&A, cont. Keep reading
for more expert answers to your flu shot concerns.Are you fully
protected from the flu once you get the vaccine? Not exactly.
Seasonal flu comes in numerous strains, each responding to
slightly different antibodies. Every year, scientists worldwide
collect flu viruses as part of an effort to predict which
strains will hit hardest that winter. The information is sent to
the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health
Organization, which select three varieties for the vaccine. When
the forecast is accurate, the vaccine can be extremely
protective. One study published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association found that it was almost 90 percent
effective for people under age 50. (The figure drops
considerably among the elderly, whose weaker immune systems have
trouble producing the required antibodies.) Still, it offers no
guarantee, especially when the predictions are off, which
happens about one year in five. That's why experts also