Submitted by AskScienceModerator t3_yxofvc in askscience
AibohphobicKitty t1_iwpxs9e wrote
So I had compiled a list over the years of roughly 30+ news articles about an influenza epidemic where hospitals were being overrun and patients needing to be outside in tents etc. dating back to 2009.
Why wasn't there a global push for influenza shots on a level such as COVID?
haley_bridgewater t1_iwr6kmg wrote
Back in 1945, the push for the flu vaccine was similar to what we are seeing with the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine today. In 1918, the world was hit with a massive influenza pandemic that killed more than 20 million people world wide. By 1945, we had an influenza (H1N1) vaccine available for the general public. Unfortunately, the flu is a rapidly mutating virus, meaning that we see various strains dominating each year and some can turn into pandemics. All we can do is try to predict which strains will be prevalent and vaccinate against those in a yearly vaccine. In short, the answer to your question is that there has been a global push for influenza vaccination in the past, put there isn't currently a push on the level of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination because we haven't seen a flu pandemic on the level with COVID-19 since 1918.
hbarSquared t1_iwr91ln wrote
Of course there's no way to know for certain, but what do you think are the odds that COVID vaccines end up in a similar state (annual / seasonal vaccines that are the best guess at which variants will be most impactful)?
FluFighterDrJB t1_iwr7g1r wrote
With few exceptions, influenza vaccines are recommended for everyone 6 months and older (see https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm ). However, vaccination rates vary between countries, and can vary at country level between different age groups and risk groups. For example, less resourced countries may have limited vaccine available; even when vaccine is available, there are several factors which can contribute to low vaccination use (summarized here: https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/influenza-vaccination-coverage-and-effectiveness ).
[deleted] t1_iwpygl1 wrote
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