Study: excess weight makes flu shots less effective

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says flu season is starting to ramp up — and it's not too late to reduce your risk with a vaccine.
But scientists have come to realize that flu vaccines are less effective for people who are overweight or obese. Considering that excess weight affects more than two-thirds of the U.S. adult population, that's a significant shortcoming.
Researchers are studying why that's the case, with an eye toward developing better flu vaccines.
This issue came to light during the 2009 flu pandemic, the first major outbreak of the 21st century. Health officials noticed that the flu was taking a particular toll on people who were significantly overweight.

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And people weren't simply getting sicker — they were also more likely to spread the disease. That has the potential to amplify a flu outbreak.

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