This year’s flu vaccine is only 36% effective. The Centers for Disease Control released its latest flu season update and confirmed that, at least up till now, this year’s main flu vaccine is only 36% effective in protecting against the A and B strains of influenza. That’s particularly bad news because the deadly H3N2 virus spreading (and killing) Americans this year falls under that category (flu vaccines typically range from 40% to 60% efficacy). Still, public health officials urge anyone who hasn’t received a flu shot yet to get one as it could, at the very least, make symptoms less severe for those who contract the virus. And, no, it’s not too late to get one. (U.S. News World Report)
America is a clear global outlier when it comes to gun violence’s effect on health. Gun politics tend to get heated and divisive. But there’s a pretty clear empirical consensus that gun violence is a significant contributor to premature deaths and disability in the U.S.—and that America is a complete outlier compared to similar nations in this regard. One example: “In the U.S., 225 years of life per 100,000 people are lost to disability and premature death as a result of assault by firearm—almost 19 times the comparable country average of 12 years of life per 100,000 people,” according to a 2017 Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker report. (Fortune)
Article source: http://fortune.com/2018/02/16/brainstorm-health-daily-02-16-18/