CDC says flu shot only 9% 'effective' against flu

POSTED BY: PIRATENEWS
UPDATED: Monday, June 17, 2024 23:26
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PIRATENEWS

Friday, February 22, 2013 2:38 AM

ATLANTA (AP) — It turns out this year's flu shot is doing a startlingly dismal job of protecting older people, the most vulnerable age group.

The vaccine is proving only 9 percent effective in those 65 and older against the harsh strain of the flu that is predominant this season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Health officials are baffled as to why this is so. But the findings help explain why so many older people have been hospitalized with the flu this year.

Despite the findings, the CDC stood by its recommendation that everyone over 6 months get flu shots, the elderly included, because some protection is better than none, and because those who are vaccinated and still get sick may suffer less severe symptoms.

"Year in and year out, the vaccine is the best protection we have," said CDC flu expert Dr. Joseph Bresee.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/feb/21/flu-shot-did-poor-job-against
-worst-bug-in/

Quote:
Flu Shots For All The Sheeple

If you got the flu shot your risk is less than 2% of getting the flu, if you got nothing, your risk was less than 4%. This is sold to the public as anywhere from 45%-65% effective, which is not a lie, but is extremely misleading.

http://www.lombardichiropractic.com/wellness-chiropractic/flu-shots-fo
r-all-the-sheeple/

BYTEMITE

Friday, February 22, 2013 3:07 AM

9% for the elderly, though they need it most.

For the rest of the population it's 56%, but that's not exactly good either. 50% would mean an even odds bet that you'll get the virus anyway (or exhibit vaccine symptoms exactly like a virus).

"Better than nothing" is the new "good enough for government work."

RIONAEIRE

Monday, February 25, 2013 11:27 PM

Its too much of a hastle. I'm young and have a great immune system, so why waste my time. I don't get flu shots.

Last month one of the women I look after at the day center was excited because she had gotten a flu shot over that weekend. Then the staff woman told me to talk about the flu and keeping healthy in their social skills group that day. So I said "so today we're going to talk about something current that comes up in this time of the year. Does anyone have any guesses?" and J shouts excitedly "The flu!!!!!". I never knew the flu could be so engaging. :)

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

BYTEMITE

Monday, February 25, 2013 11:38 PM

I live like a hermit when flu season comes around, by which I mean I ride public transportation and then lick my hands clean for all that nutritious goodness. But the spirit of the intent is there!

1KIKI

Monday, February 25, 2013 11:58 PM

The data comes from MMWR.

The part that got me wondering was this:

"These adjusted VE (vaccine effectiveness) estimates indicate that vaccination with the 2012–13 influenza season vaccine reduced the risk for OUTPATIENT MEDICAL VISITS resulting from influenza by approximately one half to two thirds for most persons, although VE was lower and not statistically significant among older adults."

It would be interesting to see if there are comparable statistics using hospital admissions, complications, sequelae, and deaths as endpoints. It's well known that partial vaccine effectiveness can reduce those things even when the vaccine isn't effective enough to entirely prevent disease.

Oh, I just wanted to add this - you all completely misunderstood the statistics. It's not that half of all people got the flu whether or not they were vaccinated. It's that compared to un-vaccinated people as the 100% mark, only 56% got the flu.

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 5:59 AM

Quote:
I just wanted to add this - you all completely misunderstood the statistics. It's not that half of all people got the flu whether or not they were vaccinated. It's that compared to un-vaccinated people as the 100% mark, only 56% got the flu.

Apparently I still don't understand, because firstly not everyone who goes unvaccinated gets the flu, so the 100% statistic you're quoting is incorrect, and secondly I'm not sure how the second part is different at all from what we're saying.

56% of people who were vaccinated got the flu or flu-like symptoms. That's a pretty pathetic vaccine in terms of protection. Perhaps this batch was poorly matched to the wild strains.

I never once said I was referring to the general population. I was implicitly referring to people who were vaccinated, since I was responding to PN, whose post was about people who were vaccinated. It would make absolutely no sense to talk about vaccine effectiveness in people WHO HADN'T HAD THE VACCINE.

So thank you. The conversation was already talking place within the frame of reference you thought we had mistaken. I'm willing to put that down as a simple misunderstanding, perhaps I was unclear and perhaps you didn't deliberately attack me and belittle my intelligence.

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 2:47 PM

It has come to my attention that maybe you were just trolling me. If so, that is far better than waltzing into a thread and telling people that they fail at science and statistics before "correcting" them about something that they'd already acknowledged.

I have decided I'm just going to go with that, and conclude "well done." That was a masterful stroke at trolling and baiting. And considering that Jack's probably the only person on this board who's better than me at trolling, this is a high compliment.

KWICKO

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 5:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
It has come to my attention that maybe you were just trolling me. If so, that is far better than waltzing into a thread and telling people that they fail at science and statistics before "correcting" them about something that they'd already acknowledged.

I have decided I'm just going to go with that, and conclude "well done." That was a masterful stroke at trolling and baiting. And considering that Jack's probably the only person on this board who's better than me at trolling, this is a high compliment.

Oh, I've seen some rather epic trolling. I witnessed first-hand as a few trolls actually shut down a whole event page at facebook, turning a protest's organizing page (where they expected 2000 people to show up and protest) into an invite-only event, where as few as nine people actually showed up at the event. It was a mass trolling, and rather amazing to watch; at a couple points, the organizers actually took the page down completely.

I was accused of trolling because I disagreed with some of the organizers and brought facts and my actual real name and profile to the debate. Apparently to them, that makes one a "troll"; I call it "factivism".

"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero

"I was wrong" - Hero, 2012

Mitt Romney, introducing his running mate: "Join me in welcoming the next President of the United States, Paul Ryan!"

Rappy's response? "You're lying, gullible ( believing in some BS you heard on msnbc ) or hard of hearing."

STORYMARK

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 5:53 PM

I got my very first flu shot this year. Normally, I figure that a yearly challenge for my immune system is a good thing, but this year I have a baby neice I see a lot, and I wanted to minimize the risk of passing something on to her as much as possible.

Excuse me while I soak in all these sweet, sweet conservative tears.

"We will never have the elite, smart people on our side." -- Rick "Frothy" Santorum

"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

STORYMARK

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 5:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
I live like a hermit when flu season comes around, by which I mean I ride public transportation and then lick my hands clean for all that nutritious goodness.

LOL!

Well done.

Excuse me while I soak in all these sweet, sweet conservative tears.

"We will never have the elite, smart people on our side." -- Rick "Frothy" Santorum

"Goram it kid, let's frak this thing and go home! Engage!"

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