The average death rate due to influenza is frequently quoted as 36,000 per year. But the analysts say it as misleading and in -correct and they told that it varies according to the influenza strain for the particular year.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday the average figure for death given as 36,000 is too high.
CDC in its weekly report said that the actual figure would be around 23,000 and even that figure is not correct when strictly speaking since it varies from year to year over the last 30 years. But this is ranged from 3,300 to 50,000. This analysis report does not include the last year swine flu (H1N1) pandemic.
Dr.David Shay of CDC says that there is no average flu season and added that it can vary from year to year.
The number of deaths occurs during one influenza season depends upon various factors including the number of month or days it affected, the number of persons affected, the age of the people affected mostly and apart from them the type of strain of flu that predominates in a given season.
The number of death occurs when H3N2 predominates is 2.7 times higher than when an H1N1 predominates.
Shay detailed that the average of 36,000 deaths is an average for ten years of the 1990’s when H3N2 predominated in several years at that time.
Shay pointed out that it is not possible to predict the strain which would predominate even before the influenza outbreak starts.
Shay indicated that everyone should follow CDC’S recommendation about influenza and to get vaccinated every year.