Jury’s out on flu vax

INTERNATIONAL experts from the World Health Organisation will meet in Australia to scrutinise the effectiveness of this year’s influenza vaccine.

There have been a record number of flu cases across Australia this year but deputy director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne Ian Barr says it’s too early to say if the vaccine has been ineffective.

“We have to wait and see,” he said.

An interim report on the success of this year’s vaccine will be released in the next two to three weeks, Professor Barr said.