How’s everyone doing with the flu this season? The CDC just reported that this year’s vaccine effectiveness is 62%, which is similar to results from clinical trials.
I just read a study of flu over 4 years and 122 flu patients and the research reported that 93% of index cases were children and they passed the illness to adults. 5 index patients got the flu despite being vaccinated (Suess et al. 2012 PL0S one 7(12):e51653). All 21 children that contract the flu from an index patient were symptomatic.
I’d say get your flu shot especially if you have kids < 14 years old. See www.flu.gov for more information.
Shelly L. Miller 
I got my flu shot at Rite Aid this morning! Mom
Good news!
Shelly – is there any evidence to show the effectiveness of UVC in reducing the spread of flu in offices and similar situations ?
Great question David, unfortunately there is very little data to date showing the effectiveness of UVC against Flu transmission in office buildings. One important study is the 1959 study of influenza prevention in a Veterans Administration nursing home (ARRD), which identified an 80% reduction in influenza in staff and patients through the use of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (McLean, R. L. (1961). “The Effect of Ultraviolet Radiation Upon the Transmission of Epidemic Influenza in Long-Term Hospital Patients.” American Review of Respiratory Diseases. 83(2 Part 2): 36-38).