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-but we are not really alone; enjoy reading:-if you promote the rational use (best use) of vaccines your risk your reputation-this is my problem in Spain, even being a professor of public health and a member of the Vaccines Committee of the Spanish Association of Public Health-thanks, Wouter-in my opinion, Cochrane, Tom Jefferson, Peter Doshi and others are alone around the lack of EBM and of effectiveness of influenza vaccine because most people are afraid of being labelled as "anti-vaxx"
-three comments:
«Evidence for ‘consistent high-level protection is elusive,’ the researchers concluded. Although vaccination was found to provide modest protection from infection in young healthy adults who rarely have complications of flu, the authors found that ‘evidence for protection in adults 65 years of age and older [who represent over 90% of deaths from flu] . . . is lacking’ » (2012) Michael T OSTERHOLM et al. Center for Infections Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). University of Minnesota : Minneapolis
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/downloa ds/ccivi_report.pdf
This flu season, let’s immunize ourselves from the annual infection of exaggerating relative risk reductions. (2015) Alan Cassels
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2015/10/this-flu-season-lets -immunize-ourselves-from-the-a nnual-infection-of-exaggeratin g-relative-risk-reductions/
In the meantime, it is clear we need better vaccines, which need better evaluation, and making public awareness messages that promote mask wearing and hand hygiene.(2017) Chris Del Mar and Peter Collignon
http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2017/10/04/chris-del-mar-and-peter- collignon-another-seasonal-inf luenza-epidemic/ -four questions:
1/ flu vaccine has no connection at all with flu deaths; even the CDC measures flu vaccine effectiveness as "to prevent influenza-associated, medically attended, acute respiratory illness (ARI)" (no deaths)
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6606a3.htm 2/ it is only half true that " Influenza genetic drift means revaccination is needed every year with modified antigens"; the main reason to re-vaccinate every year is a steady decline in vaccine protection in the months after vaccination; so even with no genetic drift you need re-vaccination; this was the case in 2011/12 and was the case in 2014/15
http://equipocesca.org/en/vacuna-contra-la-gripe-2011-2012-u na-vacuna-terminator-mas-razon es-para-el-no-razonable-de-pro fesionales-y-pacientes-flu-vac cine-2011-2012-a-terminator- vaccine-more-reason-to-say-a-r easonabl/
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6332a3.htm#Influ enza_Vaccine_Composition
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/64/5/544/2758477/Intras eason-Waning-of-Influenza-Vacc ine-Protection
https://www.statnews.com/2017/01/12/flu-shot-timing/ 3/ Influenza vaccines have also no impact on hospitalizations; see the numbers in the US from 1997 to 2009 (increasing number of people vaccinated, more than 100 millions and no impact at all)
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s 12889-017-4177-z 4/ Group of risk is a very risky question:
Among children <18 years, about half of all influenza hospitalizations were due to influenza B, most occurring in children without noted risk conditions.
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s 12889-017-4177-z
The level of evidence to support risk factors for influenza related complications is low and some well accepted risk factors, including pregnancy and ethnicity, could not be confirmed as risks.
http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5061
un saludo juan gérvas @JuanGrvas
It is shameful that national NHS "leaders" are bullying their staff.
That narcissistic attitude is already taken over by the work force: "General practice threatens
to withhold repeat prescriptions until patients have flu vaccine".
And it is not only about power: “Unfortunately this is - about cash."
http://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j4682
Social media is also used to bully people into submission: https://twitter.com/DocBastard/status/919178016445616128
People are getting publicly listed https://twitter.com/DocBastard/status/919214919609921538
This kind of behaviour is condoned by regulatory bodies, like the GMC (General Medical Council in the UK).
All health care "professionals" do not do their duty, health care workers (HCW) don't provide SDM
for the flushot, because (apart from the money) they do not understand the evidence themselves,
they know they don't know and pretend ignorance.
In the meantime with massive marketing campaigns, by creating "estimates" from surrogate end points,
intense lobbying and creating fear to speak out through bullying, a global market is established.
And all the great and the good in EBM won't speak out either, in order to maintain their jobs.
This process to curb freedom is described in the book "Animal Farm" by George Orwell.
Wouter
Dr W Havinga, locum GP, Gloucestershire, UK
GMC 3578256
@wouterhavinga
I am interested in normalising common infectious diseases and supporting life style choices with shared decision making (SDM) and trying to avoid pharmacological intervention options.
Medicine focuses on symptom control rather than the developmental benefits (life style choices) from disease.
Infectious diseases ("Virolution" & microbiome) and life events
can have developmental benefits but medicine, in my opinion, stigmatises patients
with labels such as anxiety and depression and constantly spreads pandemic fears.
www.whopaysthisdoctor.org/doctor/312