Internationally, the World Health Organization is reporting a worldwide decline in H1N1 swine flu activity. There has been debate among experts if the swine flu still warrants vaccination. Now research reports there is “poor quality” evidence that flu vaccines effectively prevent influenza illness in the elderly. The study was conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration, a non-profit group that reviews scientific evidence for medical treatments,
The review, published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, examined 75 studies of influenza vaccines. Researchers at the Cochrane Collaboration in Rome, Italy, analyzed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, and case-control studies assessing influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenza illness or influenza-like illness.
The researchers found only one RCT that detected vaccine effectiveness again flu symptoms, although the study did not report any effect against flu complications. The rest of the studies were judged to be of low quality, making data interpretation inconclusive.
“The available evidence is of poor quality and provides no guidance regarding the safety, efficacy or effectiveness of influenza vaccines for people aged 65 years or older,” the study authors write. “To resolve the uncertainty, an adequately powered publicly-funded randomised, placebo-controlled trial run over several seasons should be undertaken.”
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Your Thoughts
Did you get a swine flu vaccination this winter? Do you believe it has helped prevent flu infection? Please comment below.
