Flu shot less effective for obese adults
Obesity is of growing concern worldwide, as it often goes hand in hand with many health problems. Along with age, pregnancy and certain chronic diseases, obesity is also recognised as a factor that increases people's risk of dying from influenza. Lead author Scott Neidich compared 1022 adults from North Carolina who were healthy weight, overweight or obese. They had all received the seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3) during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 flu seasons. Laboratory tests and symptom scores were used to confirm whether a vaccinated participant had flu or influenza-like illness and to which degree their bodies produced influenza-fighting antibodies following vaccination. A small percentage of people became ill, despite receiving the shot. In the case of obese participants, 9.8 percent of them had either confirmed influenza or influenza-like illnesses, compared with 5.1 percent of those of healthy weight. "Vaccinated obese adults are twice a