Will The Flu Shot Save Your Life?
What is the evidence for its effectiveness? Cochrane Systematic Review of Databases meta-analysis,published in BMJ : Publication in prestigious journals is associated with partial or total industry funding, and this association is not explained by study size or quality. Government-funded studies were less likely to favour effectiveness of the vaccine () the higher the studys quality (and the lower the risk of bias),the higher the probability of concordance. In addition, the higher the probability of concordance, the lower the probability that a studys conclusions were in favour of vaccines effectiveness. Visit Cochrane Review site to read reviews of flu vaccines yourself: Flu vaccines for healthcare workers: "no conclusive evidence" www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab005187.html Flu vaccines in healthy children:"no more effective than placebo in children 6-24 mos" www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004879.html Vaccines for preventing influenza in people with asthma: www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab000364.html Mayo Clinic study found triplerisk of influenza-related hospitalization in flu-shot vaccinated children: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519172045.htm Package insert from squalene-containing vaccine to be used in Canada www.scribd.com/doc/20313100/Contents-and-Usage-of-GSK-s-Pandemrix-H1N1-Vaccine Insert sows that NO studies have been done on children under 3. Only very limited studies have been done on children 3-9. 20% of children developed flu-like symptoms with fever following vaccination. NO long-term safety data available WHATSOEVER. On regimen of two half-doses, seroprotection (based on antibody titers) rate in children age 3-5 ad 6-9 drops to 6% and 4.5%, respectively, after 6 months. With regimen of two full doses, it is 68% and 61% after 6 months. Remember that efficacy as determined by antibody titers does NOT translate into equivalent effectiveness (see Cochrane review) and influenza vaccine has NEVER been shown to reduce days of illness, days missed from work, hospitalizations or deaths in adults or children.
