Flu Deaths This Year

In 2018, it is expected that the flu will kill more Americans than the swine flu outbreak of 2009, which killed around 12,000 people. Why is the flu causing so many deaths? There are many different strains of the flu virus, and they can only fit up to four strains of the virus into a single flu vaccine; doctors have to guess which types of flu will be strongest each year. Because of this, they may not choose the correct strains. This may cause the vaccine to be less effective than they intended.

Many Americans believe that they don’t need a flu shot. The fact is, if you get a flu shot, you are much less likely to die from the flu. Your symptoms will also be less severe if you end up getting a different strand of the flu. Therefore, getting a flu shot is still important, even though it may not prevent you from getting the flu completely.