Last year’s flu shot was 44 percent effective in preventing the flu in the general population and about 54 percent effective in preventing the flu in healthy people, according to the Influenza Division of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of course, the effectiveness of any year’s flu vaccine is related to how closely matched the vaccine is to the actual strain. But it’s impossible for scientists to know in advance which strain will be the most dominant.
A study published online in the British medical journal, The Lancet (9-05), found that flu shots are far less effective than previously thought. International researchers analyzed studies on the flu vaccine performed worldwide in the past 37 years and discovered that vaccines were just 28% effective in preventing influenza or its complications in elderly people. A previous study done by U.S. National Institutes of Health also that found flu shots for the elderly in the United States had not saved lives.
On the other hand, new studies show that overall, the flu vaccine helps prevent flu in enough cases to make it worthwhile. However, many proponents of natural medicine are concerned with some of the ingredients in the shots and cal them toxic. A key proponent of this theory is Dr Joseph Mercola the publisher of a popular health newsletter. Dr. Mercola says that most flu vaccines contain mercury.
"The runaway 100 percent effectiveness that's touted by proponents was nowhere to be seen," said Tom Jefferson, a researcher with the Cochrane Vaccine Fields project, a group of scientists who perform reviews of research data. "What you see is that marketing rules the response to influenza, and scientific evidence comes fourth or fifth. Vaccines may have a role, but they appear to have a modest effect. The best strategy to prevent the illness is to wash your hands."
