Influenza vaccine The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends it annually for all Americans over six months, but a new study from the Cleveland Clinic suggests that it may not have the protective effect people expect.
A preprint study published this week on medrxiv.org looked at infection data for the 2024-2025 influenza season.
Researchers found that out of 53,402 Cleveland Clinic employees in northern Ohio, taking the flu vaccine is associated with a 27% increase. Influenza infection.
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Vaccinated employees were compared to those who were not administered the vaccine for 25 weeks.
The influenza vaccine is recommended annually for all Americans who have been in the 6 months or longer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“This study found that influenza vaccination in working-age adults is associated with a higher risk of influenza between 2024-2025. Respiratory Virus Seasonsuggesting that vaccines are not effective in preventing flu this season,” the researchers wrote in the study.
Previous studies by these researchers on vaccine efficacy have been published in major journals, but this latest study is still in the preprint stage. In other words, it has not been peer reviewed yet.
Potential limitations
Researchers noted some limitations of the study, including that it was used by about 99% of employees who had “trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines.”
“We cannot rule out the possibility that other flu vaccines were more effective,” they wrote.
It is also possible that the home test kit has missed some infections.
“This study suggests that influenza vaccinations in working-age adults are at a higher risk of influenza during the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season, suggesting that the vaccine is not effective in preventing influenza this season,” the researchers wrote. (istock)
Furthermore, this study did not compare the risk of influenza-related hospitalization or death. They also did not measure whether the vaccine reduced the severity of the disease.
“Our study of healthcare workers did not include children or minority. senior citizenand was primarily made up of individuals healthy enough to hire.
The weight of the doctor
Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst and professor of clinical medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News, reviewed the findings and said the results were “misleading.”
“It’s observational and doesn’t prove that the vaccine won’t reduce the spread,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“The biggest bias I’m seeing is comparing vaccinated healthcare workers (80% are vaccinated against the flu) with general population trends. As the study doesn’t take that into consideration, Medical workers With the high chances of exposure to the flu in their occupation, we expect a high infection rate, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not. ”
Siegel also said he believes the study misuses the term “effectiveness.”
This study did not compare the risk of influenza-related hospitalization or death. They also did not measure whether the vaccine reduced the severity of the disease. (istock)
“The flu vaccine is intended to reduce the severity rather than reduce the spread,” he noted.
“The actual yardstick for the effectiveness of influenza vaccines is hospitalization rates or clinic visits or emergency care. This is usually down over 100,000 a year due to the vaccine.”
“The flu vaccine is intended to reduce the severity rather than reduce the spread.”
This efficacy changes every year based on how well a vaccine is suitable for dominant tensions, doctors added.
“At the same time, the flu vaccine tends to decline. Virus volumeshould reduce the overall spread within the community. ”
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Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of San Francisco biotechnology company Centivax, reiterated that the study has not yet undergone peer review.
“We should wait for that process as it will help us to review statistical methods and other research design considerations,” he told Fox News Digital.
“We tell patients that the benefit of administering the flu vaccine is that even if they may be able to take the flu, it may not be as severe as those who did not receive the flu vaccine,” one doctor said. (istock)
“It’s important to rule out reports of avoidance by unvaccinated Cleveland Clinic employees. Did they have a policy that discourages non-vaccinated subjects from reporting the illness?”
“The whole world is I’m affected by the flutherefore, if this phenomenon is genuine, it should be easily supported by other research this season. ”
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Dr. Mike Sevila, a Salem, Ohio-based family doctor, High infection rate This year’s flu vaccine suggests it wasn’t as effective as expected.
“I don’t think this is expected, but comparing the past few years, the effectiveness of the annual flu vaccine can vary significantly from about 10% to about 60%,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“The effectiveness of an annual flu vaccine varies greatly from about 10% to about 60%.”
Sevilla shared in his office that there has been an increase in flu cases this season, but not necessarily a serious case.
“The benefit of receiving the flu vaccine is that even if you may be taking the flu, your case may not be as serious as those who have not received the flu,” he said.
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“If you have any questions about the vaccine, you can always ask your family doctor.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic for comment.
