As the 2024-2025 flu season continues, early data suggest that flu vaccines this year have significantly reduced hospitalizations and outpatient visits in vaccinated individuals. Public health experts highlight the value of flu vaccination, especially in light of the possible virulence of strains present this season. With attention on vaccine efficacy, the present situation of flu cases, and flu vaccination's future, here's what you should know.

Inital reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that the 2024-2025 flu vaccine has shown remarkable effectiveness in avert severe cases of the flu, especially among children. The findings, extracted from two healthcare center networks under the surveillance of the CDC, show that the vaccine has been as effective as 78% in averting hospitalization in children and teens.

For adults, the effectiveness of the vaccine in avoiding hospitalization has been between 41% and 55%. Furthermore, flu vaccines have decreased outpatient visits, such as doctor visits, urgent care, and emergency room visits. In children and adolescents, the effectiveness of the vaccine for outpatient visits was found to be 32%, 59%, and 60% in various healthcare networks, while in adults it was between 36% and 54%.

Despite variations in regional effectiveness, experts maintain that this year’s flu shots offer strong protection comparable to previous high-efficacy flu seasons over the last 15 years.

Influenza viruses can be grouped into two broad categories—A and B—which, in turn, split into subtypes. For the current season, influenza A viruses, including H1N1 and H3N2, have prevailed in flu cases across the country. Although flu shots have conferred robust protection against H1N1, against H3N2, it has been moderately lower. In areas where H3N2 is more concentrated, according to studies, flu shots have less frequently prevented cases among pediatric outpatients.

Laboratory testing research on ferrets, the typical animal model used for influenza research, has shown that the flu vaccine this year is not quite as good a fit for the spreading H3N2 viruses as it is for H1N1. Even so, general flu vaccine effectiveness is in line with previous flu seasons, and public health authorities continue to recommend widespread immunization.

Changes in Flu Shot Formulation- What's Different This Year?

For the first time since 2012, the U.S. flu vaccine has changed from a quadrivalent (four-component) to a trivalent (three-component) formula. This year's vaccine protects against two influenza A subtypes—H1N1 and H3N2—and one influenza B strain called the Victoria lineage. The fourth component from last year, the Yamagata lineage of influenza B, has been dropped, since international data show it might have become extinct.

Is It Too Late to Get Vaccinated for Flu?

Although the best time to get vaccinated is early fall before flu cases start to peak, it's never too late to get the flu shot. The CDC advises annual flu vaccination for all individuals above six months of age, and since flu cases can persist until May, getting vaccinated even later in the season can be of great benefit.

For those who still need to get their flu vaccination, infectious disease specialists say immunization is still important, especially for vulnerable populations, including:

• Pregnant women
• Elderly patients aged 65 and above
• People with pre-existing chronic health conditions
• Young children aged less than five years

Although the number of cases of flu might start decreasing towards spring, getting vaccinated can keep severe complications low and curtail the virus transmission.

In spite of the effectiveness of this season's flu shot, the next year's vaccine hangs in uncertainty. Generally, an FDA advisory panel gathers in early spring to choose strains for the upcoming year's vaccine. But this year, the meeting that was planned was abruptly canceled, leaving public health experts anxious.

Manufacturing of flu vaccine takes months because the chosen virus strains have to be grown in chicken eggs prior to mass production. Delaying strain selection will affect supplies of vaccines for the 2025-2026 season, which could translate to higher rates of severe illness and hospitalization.

In spite of these obstacles, the World Health Organization (WHO) has persevered with its yearly flu strain selection process, and only time will tell if the FDA will proceed on their own with strain selection in time for manufacturers to achieve the production timeline necessary.

Why Flu Vaccination Remains Essential?

Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can result in hospitalization and even death, especially in high-risk populations. Although some flu seasons are less severe than others, flu vaccines are essential in preventing complications, curbing the transmission of the virus, and reducing the burden on healthcare systems.

With the 2024-2025 flu season demonstrating promising vaccine efficacy, public health officials continue to emphasize the need for universal immunization. With flu cases continuing across various regions, vaccination remains the best method in preventing yourself and your loved ones from getting sick.

The 2024-2025 flu season has shown the power of this year's vaccine to prevent severe illness and hospitalizations. While there are regional differences, especially from the H3N2 strain, overall vaccine effectiveness is strong, matching some of the most protective flu seasons in the last 15 years. With flu season still present, health professionals recommend that individuals who have not yet been vaccinated get vaccinated as soon as possible.

The uncertainty around the Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine has been exacerbated by the Trump administration. The new government has imposed new requirements on the nation's only traditional protein-based vaccine. These new requirements have led to many confusions about vaccine updates, including other vaccines too, which await approval.

The Wait For Full Approval Is Too Long

Novavax is the maker of the protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, which was on track to receive full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by April 1. However, the approval process was paused because of Dr Sara Brenner, the FDA's acting commissioner. The reason for delay has raised many questions about the interference, including political, especially after Dr Peter Marks, FDA's longtime vaccine chief had left following disagreements with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. These events have further led to the apprehensions of uncertainty regarding the vaccine's future.

As of now, Novavax's vaccine is only authorized for emergency use. Unlike mRNA vaccines form Pfizer and Moderna, which have full approval, the Novavax vaccine holds the EUA or the Emergency Use Authorization, which allows it to be distributed during public health emergencies. However, once the emergency ends, the FDA can remove these vaccines from market unless full approval is granted.

What Caused The Delay?

The FDA had initially planned to approve Novavax's vaccine by its April 1 target date. However, sources familiar with the situation revealed that Trump appointees influenced the delay. Since then, Novavax has been in discussions with the FDA to determine additional requirements for approval. In the meantime, the FDA's recent comments have fueled concerns that Novavax’s vaccine may be treated as a “new product” due to its updates to match last year’s coronavirus strain. This would require new clinical trials, a process unlikely to be completed before the fall.

ALSO READ: Novavax Says FDA Approval Back on Track for Its COVID Vaccine

This approach to Novavax’s vaccine approval stands in stark contrast to the FDA’s treatment of the mRNA vaccines, where annual strain updates have been handled in a way similar to flu vaccines, requiring only small-scale tests to demonstrate the vaccine’s continued effectiveness against new strains. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert, argued that it would be unnecessary to treat these annual updates as “new products” requiring full trials, as long as the updated vaccines show that they produce protective antibody levels.

Role Of HHS Secretary

Of course Robert F Kennedy Jr will have a role to play, being the Health Secretary, and a known vaccine skeptic. Despite claiming in recent speeches that he is not anti-vaccine, Kennedy’s past associations with anti-vaccine groups have raised alarms. His nonprofit, Children’s Health Defense, has been involved in campaigns questioning vaccine safety, and Kennedy himself has made public statements suggesting that vaccines can cause autism—a long-debunked claim.

His actions have also contributed to the uncertainty that surrounds the Novavax's approval today and the overall direction of US vaccine policies.

Is Novavax Different From Other Vaccines?

What sets Novavax apart from other COVID-19 vaccines is its traditional approach. While Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines use genetic instructions to create a temporary version of the virus’ spike protein, Novavax’s vaccine contains lab-grown copies of the spike protein itself. This approach has been used for decades in vaccines for diseases like hepatitis B and shingles, making it a more familiar method for people who may be hesitant about mRNA vaccines.

Danish multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has launched Wegovy in Thailand, marking the entry of its hugely popular weight loss drug in Southeast Asian market. First launched in 2021, Wegovy helped make Novo Nordisk Europe's most valuable listed company until recently, worth $615 billion at its peak. Wegovy is a semaglutide shot, which means that it is a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

"We actually received the Thai FDA approval already in 2023," said Enrico Canal Bruland, vice president and general manager of Novo's Thai subsidiary. He noted that Novo was making Wegovy available in Thailand ahead of rival Eli Lilly's Zepbound. Wegovy is currently available for prescription in private hospitals around the country and will be available soon in public hospitals. Notably, Bruland declined to provide details on Wegovy's pricing in Thailand, which has a population of around 66 million, or Novo Nordisk's plans for expansion into other Southeast Asian markets.

Notably, the most popular GLP-1 agonist Ozempic was also created by Novo Nordisk. Earlier this month, the pharma giant expanded its research in the field diabetes and weight loss drug and announced that its diabetes pill, Rybelsus, demonstrated cardiovascular benefits in a late-stage trial. The findings pave the way for the medication to become a new treatment option for people living with both diabetes and heart disease.

How Do Semaglutides Work?

Semglutide is the synthetic version of GLP-1—a natural hormone produced in the intestines that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Now, every time you eat, your body produces various hormones, including GLP-1. These are called Post nutrition hormones, and help you absorb the energy you just consumed.

GLP-1 travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated. Ozempic imitates this hormone, thereby, silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people this food chatter is really quiet ( people with low appetite) and for others it is an outbrurst, (people who generally binge eat.) So with Ozempic, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.

However, it is important to note that losing weight includes not just fat but muscle as well. Losing too much muscle can lead to reduced strength and a shorter life span. Notably, records show that most people who start taking them stop it at 12 weeks; therefore, it is important for some but not for others.

Notably, last month, US pharma major Eli Lilly launched the obesity management drug Mounjaro in India at one-fifth of the US price. The company rolled out the drug in a single-dose vial following the marketing authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). It has been priced at Rs 3,500 for a 2.5 mg vial and Rs 4,375 for a 5 mg vial. "It is a first-of-its-kind treatment for obesity, overweight, and type 2 diabetes that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors," the company said.

One moment, Dr Cornelius Sullivan was focused on a patient during surgery, and the next moment, he woke up in ambulance, headed to the emergency room.

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Dr Sullivan had struck his head on a monitor that had been moved behind him in a surgery center. This serious accident had resulted in a two-night hospital stay and kept him away from work for weeks. However, this is not the first time he had suffered a work-related injury. This is, in fact, the third time this has happened, noted ASA.

"Boom Strikes"

These injuries are often called "boom strikes". These occur when anesthesiologists accidentally bump into operating room (OR) equipment that is mounted on fixed or moveable arms. These could be monitors, lights, or screens.

While any OR staff member could be hurt this way, anesthesiologists are particularly more vulnerable to such injuries. Their work requires them to operate in tight, also, often crowded spaces. It also requires them to move quickly during emergencies, which further increases the risk of collision with equipment.

Why The Problem Is Growing?

As per ASA, the risk of boom strikes have been on the rise. This is also because of an increase in sophisticated equipment being added to operating rooms and surgeries are also now performed in much smaller spaces.

As per a survey conducted by the organization, it was found that more than half of anesthesiologists reported experiencing at least one work-related injury, including head injuries. These numbers have highlighted the growing concern over physical safety in an already demanding and high-pressure environment.

Can New Guidelines Improve Safety?

In response to these alarming findings, the ASA has issued a new Statement on Anesthesiologist Head Injuries in Anesthetizing Locations.

The statement formally recognizes boom strikes as a serious occupational hazard and even a potential medical emergency — especially dangerous during outpatient procedures or in cases where no backup anesthesiologist is immediately available to take over patient care.

Dr. Mary Ann Vann, chair of ASA's Ad Hoc Committee on the Physical Demands of Anesthesiologists, also experienced a work-related head injury. Drawing from personal experience, Dr. Vann helped develop the new safety recommendations, aimed at preventing such incidents.

What Have Been The Key Recommendations?

The ASA outlined several measures to reduce the risk of head injuries among anesthesiologists, including:

Holding Regular Safety Meetings: OR teams should meet frequently to discuss safety concerns and review past incidents.

Creating Safety Teams: Special teams should be tasked with reviewing and tracking reports of boom strikes to identify patterns and solutions.

Involving Anesthesia Staff in Room Planning: Clinical anesthesia personnel should have a voice when designing or rearranging procedure rooms to ensure equipment placement considers movement and space needs.

Tracking Head Injuries: Systematic documentation of head injuries can help health systems better understand causes and outcomes, leading to more informed prevention strategies.

The ASA emphasized that head injuries in the OR are not just minor accidents but events that can have serious consequences for patient safety and anesthesiologists’ health.

By implementing the new guidelines and raising awareness, the ASA hopes to make operating rooms safer environments for all medical professionals — and ensure that anesthesiologists can continue their vital work without unnecessary risk.