Flu jabs 'fail to cut illnesses'
Pastor Dale Morgan
Flu jabs 'fail to cut illnesses'*
By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:37am BST 24/10/2007
Flu vaccinations do not cut the numbers of elderly people being admitted
to hospital with illnesses commonly triggered by the virus, government
scientists claim.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) researchers found that having the flu jab
did not cut the chances of those aged 65 to 89 attending hospital for
respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia and
chest infections.
Previous studies have shown reductions in infections and death rates
among those vaccinated, particularly in years when the prevalent flu
strain is a good match for the vaccine.
The new study fuels growing doubts over the effectiveness of the
£115?million annual vaccination campaign, following research published
last month suggesting there was little evidence it was effective in
elderly patients or that it saves lives.
Dr Rachel Jordan, one of the researchers, said relying on the flu
vaccine alone to control winter illnesses was "unlikely to be a
sufficiently effective yearly strategy".
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "Although vaccination may
not protect all elderly people, experts advise that the majority of them
benefit by at least having a less severe illness."