More CDC Nonsense About the Flu Vaccine

     

The CDC just released its latest numbers on the 2012-13 flu vaccine effectiveness. (1) The article was picked up by the mainstream media which reported that the flu vaccine was 56% effective against the flu. The CDC states, “Confirmation of the protective benefits of the 2012–13 influenza vaccine among persons aged 6 months–64 years offers further support for the public health benefit of annual seasonal influenza vaccination and supports the expansion of vaccination, particularly among younger age groups.” Is the flu vaccine really 56% effective and should it be expanded? Maybe in the Land of Oz it is effective and should be expanded, but on our planet this vaccine is virtually worthless, especially for those who need it most – the elderly.

I thought it would take me a few minutes to pour through the data to write this blog. I was wrong. Slogging through the fog of this article took me two hours. CDC’s articles are not for the faint of heart. Some Oompa Loompa CDC employee must be saying, “I can’t report that the flu vaccine is worthless. I have to manipulate the numbers to show the vaccine does work.” Manipulate the numbers is what they did. In fact, what the mainstream media reported was a vast misrepresentation of the actual data. Let’s take a look at what I found.

The CDC enrolled 2,697 adults in this study. Let’s first look at the first group – I will call them Group A– that did not get the flu. Group A consisted of 1,582 subjects who did not get the flu. In Group A, 793 were given the vaccine in this group – 50%. So, the CDC can tout a 50% efficacy of the flu vaccine. However, the other 50% of the subjects did not get the flu vaccine nor did they contract the influenza virus. I say, these numbers show the ineffectiveness of the flu vaccine. Since 50% of the subjects did not get the vaccine or get the flu, where is the effectiveness of the vaccine? As the old Wendy’s commercials stated, “Where’s the beef?”

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