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SCMP Reporter

Doubts over efficacy of flu vaccine

The Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong is appealing to parents to give their children, from the age of six months upwards, the influenza jabs.

A quick internet search, however, reveals many doubts as to its efficacy and more importantly the safety of these procedures.

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Notably, I refer to 'The Cochrane Library - evidence of health-care decision-making', which published a professional report assessing the research to date on the efficacy and safety of flu vaccinations.

To summarise, it said that:

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In respect of efficacy, with children aged from two, nasal spray vaccines made from weakened influenza viruses were better at preventing illness caused by the specific influenza virus than injected vaccines made from the killed virus;

Neither type was particularly good at preventing 'flu-like illness' caused by other types of viruses;

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