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Study finds influenza vaccines rarely help healthy people
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October 17th, 2014
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This article is more than 11 years old.
In very few cases will they reduce absence from work
Drawing on a massive study by the network of healthcare professionals Cochrane Collaboration, Metroxpress reports that, despite the health authority Sundhedsstyrelsen’s claims, vaccinations against influenza have a very minor effect on healthy people and pregnant women.
The Cochrane study review studied 8 million people to arrive at its conclusions. “The preventive effect of parenteral inactivated influenza vaccine on healthy adults is small,” the report states.
“Vaccination shows no appreciable effect on working days lost or hospitalisation.”
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Still important for groups at risk
Christian Gluud, a leading expert in medicinal statisitics and head of department at the Copenhagen Trial Unit research centre told Metroxpress that he gave the study his seal of approval. “It’s a very big and well-executed review,” he said.
“And we should further be aware that the Cochrane group highlights that the effect is maybe even smaller because a number of the studies that are included in the overall assessment are influenced by the medical industry.”
Sundhedsstyrelsen however maintains that the vaccines are important for groups particularly at risk, such as the elderly or the chronically ill.
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