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Experts: This year's flu vaccine is only 10 percent effective

There are new concerns about this year’s flu vaccine.

An international team of medical experts is warning that this year's flu season could be severe. But health officials still say the best prevention is getting a flu shot.

"The risk of getting flu and getting very ill is higher, time off work is higher when we don't get the flu shot,” said Dr. Charmille Hare of Piedmont Locust Grove in Georgia.

Hare sums up what doctors around the world say; It''s better to get a flu shot than not.

"Patients have the risk of getting pneumonia even from not getting the flu shot and getting actual flu," Hare said.

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Health officials are pushing flu shots, even though a new report from a team of international medical experts said this year's vaccine was only 10 percent effective during flu season in Australia.

"The risk of having mild fever from the flu shot or even achiness from the shot itself is less of a complication compared to being put in the hospital for pneumonia," Hare said.

The Georgia health department said there have been 14 flu-related hospitalizations so far this season.

"You can get this flu shot pretty much everywhere right now. We are well stocked up and ready for patients to come get the flu shot," Hare said.

A health department spokeswoman said it's too soon to know how effective this year's vaccine will be. But even if it's not a perfect match, it will help lessen the severity for people who get the flu.

Meanwhile, researchers are working on a universal flu vaccine. That could eliminate the need for people to get new flu shots each year.