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I like the Cochrane Database review studies on influenza vaccination.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17443504

 

http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001269.html

 

Conchrane has an excellent reputation. Review studies have their limitations, but so do many of the studies on influenza vaccination in general. Cochrane has a "warning" at the bottom of their review study:

WARNING:

This review includes 15 out of 36 trials funded by industry (four had no funding declaration). An earlier systematic review of 274 influenza vaccine studies published up to 2007 found industry funded studies were published in more prestigious journals and cited more than other studies independently from methodological quality and size. Studies funded from public sources were significantly less likely to report conclusions favorable to the vaccines. The review showed that reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin but there is evidence of widespread manipulation of conclusions and spurious notoriety of the studies. The content and conclusions of this review should be interpreted in light of this finding.

Edited by Momof3littles
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Here's a much more informed explanation.

 

Mike Adams vs. the flu vaccine

 

Ouch. :D

 

That was an excellent example of how to take apart someone for shoddy misrepresentation of the science. I've seen pieces similar to the article in the OP many times. Writer presents just enough science (some percentages, a link to an incomplete source or citations to meaningless information) to seem somewhat sciency and then fills in the rest with conjecture, assumptions and bogus claims. It has a style of it's own and is easily recognizable after a time. The Mike Adams piece certainly fits the bill.

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My ds and I got the flu shot this and so far we have managed to not catch all of the nasty bugs going around at co-op so no I don't believe it. I think there is some value in the flu shot.

 

 

*shrug* We haven't gotten the flu shot for several years now and we don't catch anything either.

 

FWIW, I am not anti-vaccine; the girls have almost all shots given on schedule. But I will never again touch FluMist. :glare:

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Dh got the flu vax once and ended up hospitalized for flu (he's diabetic). None of the rest of us ever have had the vax and none of us ever end up with more than a winter sniffle. So no vax for us. Working in 2 hospitals, I saw more than enough evidence that they are a waste of time.

 

In the 25 years that my husband and I have known each other, he has only gotten the flu once - the year that he was forced to work in the room where they were giving out (live) flu vaccines, which he declined, by the way.

 

The only major study says that it only helps 1 person out of 100. That means that it is 99% ineffective but you are still getting pumped with all the chemicals and adjuvants.

 

No thanks. Complete waste of time.

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Here's a much more informed explanation.

 

Mike Adams vs. the flu vaccine

And here's an even more informed opinion other than the snarky one of this op-ed piece(right from within the piece, by the way - what this author is hanging his hat on here):

 

Based on a track record of substantial safety and moderate efficacy in many seasons, we believe the current influenza vaccines will continue to have a role in reduction of influenza morbidity until more effective interventions are available. However, evidence for consistent high-level protection is elusive for the present generation of vaccines, especially in individuals at risk of medical complications or those aged 65 years or older. The ongoing public health burden caused by seasonal influenza and the potential global effect of a severe pandemic suggests an urgent need for a new generation of more highly effective and cross-protective vaccines that can be manufactured rapidly..

 

That is the funniest thing I have read all week.

 

Translation: "We have no evidence that flu vaccines work at all, but we are going to guess that some work on some people about as well as any placebo, so we will stretch it hard and say there is "moderate efficacy". The "evidence is elusive", means that there is none. However, we are really, really sure that vaccines must do something, so we want Big Pharma to create as many new ones as possible as soon as possible! More is better when it comes to vaccines!"

 

Ugh.

 

Remember 2004, when we had this serious flu shot shortage? Mortality rates didn't rise at all.

Edited by TranquilMind
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*shrug* We haven't gotten the flu shot for several years now and we don't catch anything either.

 

FWIW, I am not anti-vaccine; the girls have almost all shots given on schedule. But I will never again touch FluMist. :glare:

 

I have never had flu mist and neither has ds or dh. I have asthma and ds is at high risk for asthma. Prior to having adult onset asthma I also received the flu shot many times as a RN who worked in the hospital for years.

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The only major study says that it only helps 1 person out of 100. That means that it is 99% ineffective

 

 

How does that follow? Surely effectiveness at prevention needs to be based on the number of people out of 100 who actually would have got the flu. To determine effectiveness based on those who wouldn't have got it no matter what seems kind of odd?

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And here's an even more informed opinion other than the snarky one of this op-ed piece(right from within the piece, by the way - what this author is hanging his hat on here):

 

It's very well deserved snark. Sometimes assertions are just so out of line that it's hard to hold the snark back.

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No I don't know that but I have been getting flu shots for over 20 years or so with no problems:D I also trust medscape and webmd more than the site posted by the OP.

Well, anecdotally I've had the flu once in my adult life and I don't get the flu shot. The year I got the flu I was working in healthcare and had the flu shot (I don't think it caused it, it was just a poor match).

 

Did you read the Cochrane review upthread and their commentary on what makes it into journals? (eta: fwiw, I like medical lit and have a master's in a healthcare related field. My DH is a PhD scientist. I read PubMed lit regularly. I'm not impressed w/ the flu shot.)

Edited by Momof3littles
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We all get it. My dh has rhumatoid arthritis and is on immunosuppressive drugs. We all get it to protect him. What is the flu for us could turn into pneumonia or worse for him. So far no flu or flu like viruses here. Just the regular cold every so often.

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