Question:
If I am a healthy adult over age 65, does getting a flu shot reduce my chances of dying from the flu more than not getting a flu shot?
Answer:
No
MedHead Confidence Score: 2
Amount Saved: $30 cost of flu shot
MedHead Message:
This is a very controversial subject. Many complaints have been lodged against flu vaccine proponents, such as the Center for Disease Control, and many other organizations for being biased in research. Conversely, I have many patients who refuse to get the flu shot every year because of perceived inadequacies in relaying the true health benefit of a yearly flu shot. It turns out that in this Cochrane study, there was no flu-related mortality benefit in those who got the flu shot v. those who didn’t.
References:
1. Demicheli, V et. al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Feb 1;2:CD004876.
