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CINCINNATI (Brad Underwood) -- Get your flu shot.

That's what people are told and that's what many people do. It provides a certain sense of security but now people are being told maybe not.

The Centers for Disease Control said the virus has "mutated" and the shots people have been getting may not get the job done. The sample size is relatively small but the CDC says thus far, flu samples taken have shown just under half matching that of the influenza strains in the vaccine. That means it has mutated.

While that sounds alarming, health experts tell Local 12 it's not unusual. A cry at the hospital is a common sound this time of year as thousands of children get their flu shot. But just because people have gotten a flu shot doesn't mean they're fully protected.

Dr. Hamilton Lempert of Mercy Health-West Hospital said, "The flu vaccine is not working as well as we would like on that particular flu strain. It still works, but not as well. So yes, we monitor it but if someone tests positive for the flu, we treat them. The best way for somebody not to get the flu is to get the flu vaccine. "

A flu shot contains four different strains of the virus. This year health experts say one of those strains is drifting. What that means is that what's in the vaccine isn't completely fighting the illness.

Dr. Steven Englender, MD, MPH of the Cincinnati Health Department said, "This isn't unusual to see. If anything that's unusual is that for three years we've had the same vaccine because the same strains have been circulating."

Dr. Englender says health agencies monitor data from hospitals and schools. At the moment, flu cases are not up and are actually on track for projections for this time of the year. But Dr. Lempert says its coming and when it does, they'll be ready.

That's the point doctors are driving home. Even if there isn't a match between the vaccine and the virus going around there are still benefits to getting the vaccination.

According to public health experts who track the number of flu cases, so far, there is no widespread flu activity in the tri-state.

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