Journal
JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE
Volume 173, Issue 11, Pages 1014-1016Publisher
AMER MEDICAL ASSOC
DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.490
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Funding
- UK National Institute for Health Research grant
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) [T32HS019488]
- European Respiratory Society
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Officials and professional societies treat influenza as a major public health threat for which the annual vaccine offers a safe and effective solution. In this article, I challenge these basic assumptions. I show that there is no good evidence that vaccines reduce serious complications of influenza, the outcomes the policy is meant to address. Moreover, promotional messages conflate influenza (disease caused by influenza viruses) with flu (a syndrome with many causes, of which influenza viruses appear to be a minor contributor). This lack of precision causes physicians and potential vaccine recipients to have unrealistic assumptions about the vaccine's potential benefit, and impedes dissemination of the evidence on nonpharmaceutical interventions against respiratory diseases. In addition, there are potential vaccine-related harms, as unexpected and serious adverse effects of influenza vaccines have occurred. I argue that decisions surrounding influenza vaccines need to include a discussion of these risks and benefits.
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