Report: Many Americans have yet to get flu shot amid reports of partial protection

NEW YORK — There’s concerning news about this flu season as, according to a HealthDay News report, fewer than half of Americans still haven’t gotten their flu shot.



According to the report, some people are forgoing the vaccine this year because of reports that it could provide only partial protection this season.



“That's a big concern," Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, chief of the Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization Section at Public Health - Seattle and King County, Washington state, was quoted as saying. "We've had many people report that they've heard the vaccine isn't effective so they aren't going to bother this year, or they're questioning if they should bother."



On a positive note, the number of pregnant women who had received the flu shot is on the rise. According to the article, as of early November, 43.5% of expecting mothers had received the shot. In years past, those vaccination rates were routinely less than 20%.