If the vaccine is 30% effective, can we get a 70% refund?
It seems that the pharmaceutical companies get it wrong by more than 50% as business as usual. And we all pay the cost.
Who is making money off this?

Viruses mutate over time, some rapidly. That's why flu vaccines vary in their effectiveness year to year. It's not a big company conspiracy. It's evolution.

Vaccines make up less than 2% of "big pharma"'s yearly revenue. That's *all* vaccines combined. Flu shots are not a pharma money grab.

Web Link

I guess people over 65 don't matter!

People over age of 65 do matter, but that age population has more coexisting conditions which make it difficult to isolate the flu as a single source of illness. When counting flu cases, other chronic conditions like emphysema, asthma, heart failure, etc.,flare up.

I agree with the bottom line of the article and the primary ask/action item of readers...if you have not been vaccinated for the flu, put that on your to do list and get vaccinated today.

Besides getting vaccinated there needs to be more PSAs about proper handwashing, covering your cough, masking, proper disposal of dirty tissues, etc etc.

All lives matter, it costs more to be sick than to be well.

When the elites finally decide to purge us all they will do it with a tainted flu shot....

Take your tinfoil hat off, dude, it's cutting off the circulation in your head.

Here is my take: Flu shots can help some. There are risks. If the shot does not include the correct strain, it does not help much. Live-virus vaccines are foolish. Polio vaccines given in far-flung places have caused polio. But few Americans seriously suspect that the government is intentionally killing us with flu shots. Killing by mistake and neglect, sure. But not by design, I hope. Then again, the CIA and U.S.military used to experiment on lots of Americans. And President Kennedy did not shoot himself. And some "elites" have no conscience and are happy to see others murdered. Vladimir Putin comes to mind. Indeed, most leaders of countries are probably killers at heart. But flu shots are used too widely. X-rays. That is the ticket to the grave. The federal government does have x-ray technicians on payroll. In fact, and come to think of it, more Americans die in nursing homes and hospitals than anywhere else. Of course, they were not usually healthy going in.

@Lin -- yes, what other conclusion can one make on the concerted effort to NOT make an effort to report on that segment of the population. I noticed that too and I'm not even old enough to be a part of that segment, but it sounds hinky to me too.
@MommaKac, I'm not buying that argument and, even if it is true, that is no excuse/reason to fail to report the numbers, noting that these factors MAY have some impact on those numbers. That's either lazy, discriminatory, disinterested or some form of all three rolled together and it speaks loudly to me as to how little elders in our society & community are valued. It's shameful; or, at least it should be!

well this conversation has certainly taken on a broad scope!

getting back to preventing the flu, may I please strongly encourage everyone to...

- get a flu shot
- wash your hands well with soap and warm water several times a day (after toilet, before eating, etc)
- using disinfectant wipes (on phones, keyboards, door knobs, car handles, shopping cart handles, anything that gets touched by a lot of people) certainly can't hurt
- cough into your elbow or into the neckline of your shirt (which is what kids are taught in school). amazing that we still see people coughing into their hands, yikes!
- and most of all, keep your hands away from your face, keep your hands away from your face, keep your hands away from your face

Anyone know the effectiveness of wearing a mask? it's hard to imagine anything could protect against minuscule viruses but who knows. good question for my advice nurse or to look online.

hope everyone stays healthy

oh, one more, please don't go to work or send kids to school when you/they are sick!

Trouble with Tamiflu? Evidently, is can turn a rational person into a Trump supporter. Crazy stuff.

Did not know the flu would be so bad this year, but decided not to get shot. With certain types of arthritis, every day of the year is like having the flu.