After getting a swine flu vaccine just a few months ago, a 68 year old woman from Merseyside figured she was safe. However, Eleanor Carruthers became the latest victim of the H1N1 virus on Saturday.
As she was ill with lung cancer and emphysema, she decided a vaccine would help protect her.
Unfortunately, she was rushed to the hospital last week and swine flu, or H1N1, was determined as a primary cause of death.
One of her children, Carole, explains that what doesn’t make sense is that she had the vaccine and the condition still came on extremely fast.
While vaccines are believed to be completely effective, the NHS explains that seasonal vaccines may only provide a protection rate of 70 to 80 percent.
An expert from the World Health Organization explained that although the vaccine did not appear effective in this case, it does provide people in the risk group the best chance of avoiding the virus.
Since October, swine flu has claimed the lives of 112 individuals, many under the age of 65.