A study released today by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows shockingly low rates of effectiveness for this year’s flu vaccine.
According to the report, the flu vaccine was effective for only 9% of seniors over 65 years old. In other words, 91% of seniors in the study who were vaccinated still ended up getting the flu.
The CDC showed somewhat better results for younger persons. They claimed that the flu vaccine was effective for 58% of those aged 6 months-17 years, 46% for persons aged 18–49 years, and 50% for persons aged 50–64 years.
Overall, the CDC claimed this year’s flu vaccine was “moderately effective” and made the unprovable claim that “influenza vaccination reduced the risk for medical visits resulting from influenza A and B by 56%.”
But since young people generally have stronger immune systems than seniors it’s unclear how many of the younger test subjects would not have gotten the flu whether they were vaccinated or not.
It seems that the figure for seniors is far more accurate as to the actual effectiveness of the vaccine precisely because they have weaker immune systems.
One would think these dismal numbers should dampen the CDC’s enthusiasm for flu vaccines, but it seems to have done just the opposite. The CDC claims that the figures for younger adults “confirm the benefits” and “offers further support” for annual flu vaccines.
The editors of the report state:
Confirmation of the protective benefits of the 2012–13 influenza vaccine among persons aged 6 months–64 years offers further support for the public health benefit of annual seasonal influenza vaccination and supports the expansion of vaccination, particularly among younger age groups.
The CDC called the woefully low effectiveness in seniors “nonsignificant”, only that it “reinforces the need for continued advances in influenza vaccines,” and that “vaccines remain the best preventive tool available.”
The nonsignificant adjusted VE of 9% against A (H3N2) among persons aged ≥65 years is similar to the estimate in a recent interim report from Europe (6) and reinforces the need for continued advances in influenza vaccines, especially to increase protective benefits for older adults.
One possible explanation for these findings is that some older adults did not mount an effective immune response to the influenza A (H3N2) component of this season’s vaccine. Nonetheless, this finding should not discourage future vaccination by persons aged ≥65 years, who are at greater risk for more severe cases and complications from influenza. Influenza vaccines remain the best preventive tool available.
However, according to their own data, a strong immune system is the best preventative measure against the flu, but Big Pharma doesn’t make any money from that.
Finally, the CDC concludes the report with a recommendation to increase the use of flu vaccines; “This report highlights the value of both increasing the use of influenza vaccines, especially among children and young adults, and continuing efforts to develop more effective vaccines and vaccination strategies.”
If a 91% failure rate is “nonsignificant” to the CDC, what level of failure must be reached for them to disavow vaccines?
Got the flu vaccine and its the only time i get the flu besides who needs all the aluminum pumped into their brain cells. Govt wont care for you when it causes alzheimers
The average success rate is MUCH higher for all other vaccinations and also MUCH higher for the flu vaccine overall. One off season of vaccination does NOT a conspiracy make . The unfortunate facts are that everyone KNOWS that their immune system is their most important defense ( that’s PART of the reason for the low immunity to begin with) but they must decide to make drastic lifestyle changes to improve their health and the vast majority choose otherwise. Unless you want to live in a dictatorship each person still has the right to live as unhealthily as they want. However, I am perfectly willing to blame Obama for the loss of immunity and the covert killing of seniors via influenza infection so that Obamacare actually stands an ice cube’s chance in hell of working , then you can disregard all my previous comments 🙂
That is just how I feel also-kill us then we won’t be a burden to the younger ones–but you must also realize that someday you will be old then who’s turn will it be to die from something the government said that had to be.
Well, that’s one way to not have to pay out social security benefits to seniors. Just kill them off. Business as usual.