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CDC report: flu vaccine not as effective

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Posted 4:15 PM 3/8/2013 : CDC report: flu vaccine not as effective

TUCSON - A new study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims this year's flu vaccine was only 56 percent effective.

In Pima County, from December to March, 1,821 cases of the flu were documented. Aaron Pacheco, a program coordinator at the Pima County Health Department, said he recognizes how the report can raise concern, "well, we know that the flu vaccine isn't going to stop all flu and that's it's not perfect, not 100 percent but it's still our best tool to fight against the flu."

In the last week, 111 cases have been reported, Pacheco said.

Dr. Steve Watson at Chiropractic USA said there are too many strains of the flu virus for the CDC to know which to create a vaccine for. He also said if there are one million people living in Pima County, the number of 1,821 is not that significant, "so the statistics are that you have a .000182 percent chance and yet the numbers just don't add up."

Watson has posters in his office that list the ingredients of flu vaccines, "there's a lot of stuff out there that's not good in our bodies." He said patients need to have all the information before deciding whether or not to get the vaccine, "you need to know what's in it, know the ingredients and some of the possible side effects.

But the Pima County Health Department stresses that the flu vaccine is effective, "it can still drastically effect the number of hospitalization and death," Pacheco said.

He recommends regularly washing your hands, avoiding people who are sick and staying home if you feel you might be getting sick.

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