Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said on Newsmax on Tuesday the seasonal flu vaccine has become "controversial of late," arguing that its inconsistent effectiveness has fueled debate even as a more severe flu strain spreads across the United States.
Appearing on "American Agenda," Oz discussed the ongoing outbreak, which health officials say is being driven by a more severe strain than in recent years.
"Flu is always a problem. Every year there's a flu vaccine. It doesn't always work very well. That's why it's been controversial of late," Oz said. "But like many illnesses, the best news out there is if you can take care of yourself, so that when you do end up running into the flu, you can overwhelm it."
Public health experts have raised concerns that this year's flu vaccine may not be a strong match for the dominant H3N2 subclade K virus. Even so, they say the shot should still reduce transmission and protect against severe illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six months and older receive an annual flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October.
Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who served during President Donald Trump's first term, said earlier this week that even in years when the vaccine is not well-matched, it still offers meaningful protection.
"Even in mismatched years, flu vaccines provide cross-protection because the strains are related. Historical data ... show mismatched vaccines can still reduce lab-confirmed flu risk by around 50-60% overall and are particularly good at preventing severe outcomes like hospitalization and death," Adams wrote on X.
In recent months, critics aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have argued that flu vaccines are ineffective and could even increase the risk of respiratory illness.
Aaron Siri, a Kennedy-aligned attorney who addressed the CDC's vaccine advisory committee earlier this month, said in October that studies showed "no convincing evidence, none, that flu shots lowered the chances of dying, being admitted to the hospital, suffering serious complications from the flu, or transmitting flu to others."
"That said: get a flu shot, don't get a flu shot. That's freedom. Everyone should be free to choose," Siri added.
Oz emphasized lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of severe illness if someone contracts the flu.
"Things like getting sunlight, and you can't do that in northern parts of the country, which is tough this time of year, take some vitamin D. Zinc seems to be effective as a basic supplement," Oz said. "But fundamentally, the MAHA initiatives: Eat the right food, food that came out of the ground looking the way it looks when you eat it and consume it, and getting physical activity actually makes sense. But the most important tool of all is sleep."
Health officials say the super-flu variant, the H3N2 subclade K virus, has spread nationwide, with patients reporting longer-lasting, more severe symptoms.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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