(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Seema Lakdawala, University of Pittsburgh and Linsey Marr, Virginia Tech

(THE CONVERSATION) Influenza, or flu, viruses cause about 200,000 hospitalizations every year in the U.S. Annual seasonal vaccination is our best line of defense, but in recent years, it has become clear that mismatches in the vaccine can limit its effectiveness.

We study how the flu virus spreads between people. While we strongly encourage everyone to get the flu vaccine, the findings from our study on the st...