A recent study from Cleveland Clinic discovered that this year’s flu shot might not include the preventive benefits that individuals expect among adults, raising serious health concerns.
The study published on MedRxiv.org, assessed the data for the 2024-2025 flu season.
Researchers found that among 53,402 Cleveland Clinic employees in northern Ohio, receiving the influenza vaccine was linked with up to 27% rise in respiratory viral infections.
The Cleveland Clinic stated to Fox News Digital, "The influenza vaccine can be highly effective in reducing the severity of illness, preventing hospitalizations, and minimizing the spread of the virus, but its effectiveness can vary depending on the virus strain and individual factors, such as age and underlying health conditions."
Limitations
It is pertinent to mention that the study included several limitations such as the use of a "trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine."
Possibly, home testing kits have likely missed a few infections.
Cleveland Clinic said, "The results do not suggest that vaccination increases the risk of flu, Instead, the study implies that the effectiveness of this season’s vaccine in preventing influenza may have been limited in relatively healthy healthcare workers."
The study further revealed that the vaccine effectiveness was reduced to -26.9%, suggesting that the vaccine has raised the risk of developing influenza.
