During One of the Worst Flu Seasons, is the Flu Vaccine the Answer?

• The US is currently in the middle of at least three widespread outbreaks of influenza and flu-like illness, including an unusually aggressive influenza virus, a novel norovirus, whooping cough (pertussis), as well as an uptick in laryngitis, and strep with cough

• Apparently many flu shot recipients are coming down with influenza and flu-like illness despite having been vaccinated—a strong indication that flu vaccines are ineffective in keeping people well despite the fact that the vaccines available this year are a good match to the actual flu strains in circulation

• According to recent reviews of hundreds of studies on the effectiveness of flu vaccines in children and adults, flu shots were found to be quite ineffective. At best, the vaccines might be effective against influenza A and B viruses about half the time and the CDC admits that influenza viruses only represent about 20-30 percent of all circulating viruses in this and other “flu seasons.”

• The combined results of vaccine trials show that under ideal conditions (influenza vaccine completely matching circulating viral configuration) 33 healthy adults need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms. In average conditions (partially matching vaccine) 100 people need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms.

• Vaccine studies show influenza vaccine use does not affect the number of people hospitalized or working days lost, but were found to cause one case of Guillian-Barré syndrome for every one million vaccinations

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