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27/10/2006
Doubts cast on effectiveness of winter flu jabs
There is little evidence to suggest that flu vaccines are effective in tackling seasonal outbreaks of the virus, a new review has claimed.
Writing in the 'British Medical Journal', vaccines expert Tom Jefferson said that it was difficult to assess the effectiveness of flu vaccines, because the virus mutates yearly, making it difficult for scientists to study the precise effects of vaccines.
Mr Jefferson said that most existing studies of flu vaccines were of poor quality and said that there was little clinical evidence to suggest that the vaccines significantly reduced deaths, hospital stays or time off work due to influenza.
Mr Jefferson suggested that part of the problem could be due to some other flu-like illnesses being diagnosed as flu, as well as a lack of accurate and fast surveillance systems. He said that a re-evaluation of the vaccine programme should be undertaken.
However, Dr David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health, told the BBC that evidence showed that immunisation could prevent hospital admissions and deaths due to influenza.
(KMcA)
Writing in the 'British Medical Journal', vaccines expert Tom Jefferson said that it was difficult to assess the effectiveness of flu vaccines, because the virus mutates yearly, making it difficult for scientists to study the precise effects of vaccines.
Mr Jefferson said that most existing studies of flu vaccines were of poor quality and said that there was little clinical evidence to suggest that the vaccines significantly reduced deaths, hospital stays or time off work due to influenza.
Mr Jefferson suggested that part of the problem could be due to some other flu-like illnesses being diagnosed as flu, as well as a lack of accurate and fast surveillance systems. He said that a re-evaluation of the vaccine programme should be undertaken.
However, Dr David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health, told the BBC that evidence showed that immunisation could prevent hospital admissions and deaths due to influenza.
(KMcA)
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