prevention benefit of flu & pneumococcal vaccination not demonstrated

[Hannah Bell]

Vaccine. 2007 Jun 6;25(23):4631-40. Epub 2007 Mar 26. Links

Prevention of community-acquired pneumonia among a cohort of hospitalized elderly: benefit due to influenza and pneumococcal vaccination not demonstrated

Benefits from influenza and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide (23vPPV) vaccines against invasive pneumococcal disease and laboratory confirmed influenza have been well documented. However, their effectiveness against pneumonia remains controversial for community-based elderly > or = 65 years.

Using a case-cohort design we examined incremental VE of 23vPPV over and above influenza vaccine against hospitalization with community-acquired pneumonia (HCAP) in two large Australian hospitals. 1952 cases (ICD-10-AM codes for pneumonia: J10-J18) and 2927 randomly selected cohort subjects were studied. Vaccination status was confirmed by providers.

Benefit against HCAP was not demonstrated in multivariate analysis for influenza vaccine compared with neither vaccine (RR 1.02, 95%CI 0.84-1.20) or for both vaccines compared with influenza vaccine (RR 0.98, 95%CI 0.81-1.18).

The current program of funding these vaccines for the elderly is not having a discernable impact on HCAP in this setting.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17478015?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

[TZ]

1. There is still the issue that children should be protected

AND what is forgotten is that people, like my sister who has Lupus cannot be immunized and get VERY sick when they get the flu, so the less people who vaccinate, the more people are likely to get others sick.
Anti-vaxxers and people who refuse to get a flu shot cause "they don't need it" are very selfish..They are likely to get hordes of people sick. AND don't play down the fact that influenza DOES kill...especially the immunocompromised.

[cosmik debris]

2. When the Flu Kills

I ran across this little bit of journalism while researching my other post on MMR vaccine.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=5709474&page=1

However, unlike a cold, influenza can attack the chest, causing pneumonia, seizures and other complications. And while most regard the illness as a common inconvenience or a short-lived bug, it is a disease that kills an estimated 36,000 Americans every year.

and

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to protect yourself from the flu is to get an annual flu shot. Although initial recommendations for the flu vaccine only included individuals over the age of 50 and those with a chronic illness, this year the CDC's advisory on immunization practices expands the age range of people eligible to receive the flu vaccine.

Now the committee additionally suggests that every child from 6 months to 18 years old receive the vaccination.

But the vaccine won't cure Halitosis, so I guess there is no real reason to take it.

[xchrom]

3. it's just odd isn't it?

i guess we should cull the ranks of the elderly by denying them the flu shot since it won't protect them from pneumonia.

except of course for that pesky thingy that if they get immunized agaisnt the flu -- they may not get the side effect of pneumonia in the first place.

[Hannah Bell]

4. influenza CAN, not inevitably does. Which, incidentally, doesn't refute the findings.

In this paper, vaccination wasn't found to be protective. Even pneumonia vaccination itself.

Just reporting the research. Since you're so "scientific" & all.

[cosmik debris]

6. I was not trying to refute the findings,

If that had been my intent, I would have replied to you. But I replied to Sue. And I am reasonably certain she understood my post better than you did.

[Hannah Bell]

7. Neverthess, i'm making the point. The finding = no benefit from flu or pneumonia vaccination.

In this study.

& your post? What's so hard to understand? Health agencies rec flu vaccination.

Nevertheless, this study found no benefit.

[cosmik debris]

8. I don't know whether that post is more

Tragic or Hilarious.

I think I'm just going to go with hilarious.

Thanks for playing.

[Hannah Bell]

9. your personal denigration schtick is lame.

[cosmik debris]

10. Maybe so, but you deserved it for that post..

If you don't like conversing with me, don't respond to my posts. Remember, I didn't come looking for you to start a fight. You responded to me.

[Hannah Bell]

11. nope, didn't "deserve it". no one "deserves" to be personally attacked

or denigrated for posting research data or voicing opinions.

i wasn't aware this was a closed forum, or that posting on factual matters justified personal insults.

i posted that your cites of health officials didn't destroy the research findings - not that you were an ass.

i could understand attack in the 2nd case, but in the first: lame.

[Hannah Bell]

5. just to be clear, immunocompromised persons such as your sister

are at risk for everything, including infections with "normal" bacteria, etc. that do no harm in people with functioning immunity.

Since that's the case, typical & rational response is to minimize community exposure, rather than expect the community to eliminate all potential risk.