For months I’ve been urging my readers to get a flu shot. Those of us who have asthma are in a high risk group that should get a flu shot every single year. You see, if you haven’t already heard this a dozen times, the flu is a respiratory illness that can cause serious problems for someone with already irritated airways like an asthmatic.

A flu shot is supposed to provide significant protection each winter from getting the flu and having your asthma symptoms spiral out of control. Supposed to being the operative word.

Unfortunately, the flu “bugs” that circulate each year are different. Experts never know for sure which ones are coming at the time flu vaccine is manufactured, because it’s months before the actual start of flu season. They just have to take their “best guesses.” Usually, these guesses are mostly correct and the flu vaccine offers 80 to 90% protection.

This year, though, the actual flu viruses that are causing flu illnesses throughout the U.S. are quite different from what was predicted. So, the vaccine this year is only offering protection from about 40% of the flu viruses. That means you could have had a flu shot and still get the flu.

So, does that mean if you already got a shot, you wasted your money and time? Or that if you haven’t gotten a shot yet, you shouldn’t bother? Not really. Even a little protection is better than no protection at all. And as long as there is still flu activity, it’s not too late to get a flu shot.

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