Flu Shot Failures? Plus Workplace Stress & Insomnia
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7:00am Segment Info:
You don't need me to tell you this is the worst flu season we've had in four years partly because the strains of flu that were predicted this year didn't match with the flu we got. Health officials say this is the worst match since 1997. Because of that mismatch, even if you got the shot, you weren't well protected against this year's flu. While the season is coming to an end, new cases are still being reported.
How can they get it so wrong?
MORE AFTER THE JUMP...
Each year the flu makes its way across the globe from Asia. And health officials all over the world monitor it and try to predict which 3 strains will be here come flu season. This year they were one for three. And one of the strains that they missed was particularly aggressive. Now that doesn't mean that you should give up on the flu shot. On average the vaccine is between 70 and 90 percent effective. And overall, this year's vaccine was 44% effective and likely reduced the severity of illness in people who got it.
In other news, conflict at work can affect more than just your job performance.
Got a problem with your boss? How about your coworkers? If you do experts say that stress can affect your sleep more than working long hours or the night shift. According to two surveys those who frequently felt upset or bothered at work, or had ongoing conflicts with bosses or co-workers, were more than one and a half times more likely to have sleep problems. Adding to the stress. People with children under the age of 3 were more than twice as likely to report poor sleep quality.
Is work more stressful today than it was 50 years ago?
It's changed. The researchers point out that over the last century work stress has shifted from physical stress to psychological. The thing is if you work hard physically during the day. You usually sleep well at night, but a tough psychological day can disrupt sleep and that's significant because sleep and work account for 2 thirds of your workday.
