Response to: Behrman A,Offley W. Should Influenza Vaccination Be Mandatory For Healthcare Workers? BMJ 2013 Nov 12: 347: f6705

Given:

1. Kelly H, Jacoby P, Dixon GA, Carcione D, et al. Vaccine Effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed influenza in healthy young children: a case-control study. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2011; 30:107–111, and

2. Cowling BJ, Fang VJ, Nishiura H, et al. Increased Risk of Noninfluenza Respiratory Virus Infections Associated with Receipt of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine. Clin Infect Dis. 2012 June15; 54(12): 1778-1783

The evidence is clear that getting an influenza vaccination greatly increases your risk of getting the “flu” by not truly protecting against your contracting influenza and, worse, increasing the vaccinated person’s risk of a non-influenza viral respiratory infection by more than a factor of 4 when compared in a double-blind, true-placebo-controlled (gold-standard) study with extended follow-up conducted in a group of the “healthiest” of humans, children 6 to 15 years of age.

…vaccination programs be abandoned because influenza vaccination provides a significant NEGATIVE benefit to those who are vaccinated as well as provides no real protection from getting influenza.”