Flu shots had little effect, report says

0 Comments | USA TODAY, January, 2004 | by Anita Manning

This season's flu vaccine did little or nothing to prevent such flu symptoms as fever, cough or sore throat, says the first preliminary study of the vaccine's effectiveness.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say a survey of health care workers at The Children's Hospital of Denver revealed that the flu vaccine had "no or low effectiveness" against flu-like illnesses, which can be caused by a host of viruses.

The study reported today doesn't show whether the vaccine prevented flu, as confirmed by lab tests. Nor does it show whether the vaccine protected against serious illness caused by flu or how it worked in children and the elderly, who are at greatest risk, says infectious disease specialist William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University...