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Wow. Our CDC should have infomercials on late night TV. Articles appeared 2 weeks ago stating, "The flu season is getting worse, and U.S. health officials say it's partly because the flu vaccine doesn't protect against most of the spreading flu bugs."

But just last week CDC spokesman Curtis Allen said the flu season runs 'into May' and that there is still time to get your shot.

Huh? Why would you?

A report in the U.S. News and World Report Wednesday February 20th, 2008 says, "The flu shot is recommended for such high-risk groups as children ages 6 months to 5 years, pregnant women, those ages 50 and older, those with chronic medical conditions (such as heart disease, asthma, and diabetes), those living in long-term-care facilities and nursing homes, healthcare workers, and those who provide care for or come in regular contact with high-risk groups." Funny, all of the groups mentioned have strong data indicating that the shot does not work for them and never has.
I am 100% against the mandate of flu shots (and 3 others) for infants. This is a disgrace. Especially following the New England Journal of Medicine calling on the FDA to remove all children's cold and cough remedies from the market.
The NEJM article says the drugs do not work, dosage recommendations are too high, and there is potential for injury or death for children under the age of six years old! But now NJ legislators are going to force you to inject your 6 MONTH old. Not 6 year old. 6 month.
Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said last year, "I hope we use absolutely every one of those (flu vaccine) doses, but we know that the demand for vaccine doesn't really match up to the list of people who we think really should have it."

Who does the CDC think should "really" have it? What is that recommendation based on? Well, we now know who they wanted to have it. We still don't know what the recommendation is based on.

Tom Jefferson, M.D., and colleagues at Cochrane Vaccines Field in Italy, conducted a review of the flu shot's efficacy. Their findings were reported in the Sept. 22 issue of The Lancet in 2005. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content /full/333/7574/912 is a similar offering titled, "Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence" According to the study, vaccines against influenza are only "modestly effective" in people in long- term care facilities and even less effective for elderly people still living in the community.

I am curious as to what is the basis for recommending more flu

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