Flu vaccine being used this winter is not as well matched to the strains of flu starting to appear across the United States, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still said people should be vaccinated.

“Getting a flu vaccine may reduce the risk of death or hospitalization from the disease. While vaccination is the best way to prevent flu, good hand hygiene and flu etiquette are also effective in preventive flu transmission,” Dr. Joe Bresee, chief of epidemiology and prevention at the Influenza Division said Friday, according to WebMD Medical News.

According to a report released by the CDC, this year’s vaccine does not match two of three main flu bugs knocking people down. Despite this mismatch, the CDC recommended getting a flu shot because it will lessen the severity and protect against potentially serious complications.

The CDC’s latest weekly influenza season report, 31 states reported widespread flu, 17 states reported regional activity and two states and the District of Columbia reported local influenza activity.

“I don't think we are peaking yet. If you look at hospitalizations or outpatient illnesses or mortality, everything still has an upward slope. I wouldn't be surprised if we continue to trend upward for the next few weeks,” Bresee told WebMD.

The CDC also discovered that the predominant type A flu virus this year is the H3N2 strain; 87 percent are the “Brisbane” strain and 93 percent or this year’s type B flu bugs are from the “Yamagata” lineage.
 
The current flu vaccine’s H3N2 component is the “Wisconsin” strain. The type B component is from the “Victoria” lineage. This means reduced protection against the Brisbane and Yamagata bugs.

“Protection may not be optimal, but flu vaccination can still protect enough to make illness mild and prevent complications,” Bresee said.

Reports indicate that each year, more than 35,000 Americans die from influenza, which is especially dangerous for those who are young, old, or have weakened immune system.