The flu vaccine has proved almost useless this winter leading to the hospitalisation of some 700 more patients between December and January than the previous year, The Sunday Times has learnt.

The main strain of influenza in circulation this year mutated from the type used in the jab putting a greater strain on the island’s health services.

“The vaccine was not a full match to the prevailing influenza virus. While the prediction is usually mostly correct, there are instances when viruses do mutate and the vaccine is no longer a good match. This year appears to be a case in point,” Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said when contacted.

This is a situation being witnessed across most of Europe and Public Health England warned that the jab was working in just three per cent of those who took it when normally it was affective in around half the cases. In Malta, some 75,000 people were jabbed against the seasonal influenza.

Mr Fearne said the elderly were the most vulnerable when this happened, as they were also more prone to succumbing to respiratory illnesses that exacerbated other chronic diseases.

This has also placed a strain on the island’s State hospital and a more-than-usual increase in overcrowding.

However, there has so far been no significant increase in the number of deaths when compared to the same season, the previous year. Mr Fearne said this winter was exceptionally cold causing viruses to thrive and multiple.

The predominant virus circulating in Malta this season was the respiratory syncytial virus.


75,000

- the number of people given the vaccine against seasonal influenza


This caused infections of the lungs and respiratory tract, similar to those of influenza, but there is no vaccine against it and it tends to lead to pneumonia in the elderly.

The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate carries out sentinel surveillance for flu in the community and from mid-December to mid-January there was a steady rise of influenza-like activity, with a slight drop during the last two weeks of January and another increase this month, with figures still rising.

“The decreased efficacy of this year’s vaccine is almost certainly a contributing factor to the increase in respiratory illnesses this winter,” Mr Fearne said.

Each year, World Health Organisation experts monitor influenza globally and predict the likely viruses that will be circulating to recommend what should be included in the flu vaccine for the forthcoming season.

It normally takes from February through to the summer to produce the vaccine and if the strain mutates once production started it becomes impossible to change. Mr Fearne said late last year it was discovered that the predominant influenza virus circulating in the northern hemisphere was different, which meant the vaccine was not a full match to the prevailing influenza virus.

However, he urged people, especially those at risk, not to be discouraged from taking the vaccine.

“We need to persevere in encouraging vulnerable groups, especially the elderly and those with chronic diseases, to take the influenza vaccine,” he said.

“It is amply documented that even if there is a mismatch in the vaccine and circulating virus during the influenza season there is still a degree of cross protection, which plays a considerable part in reducing, to some degree, the likelihood of severe outcomes like hospitalisation and death.”

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