Originally Posted by
bandaidwoman
Flu shots have only clear mortality benefits in nursing home patients.
Medicare costs rising, from a cost perspective, flu shots in people over 65 clearly reduce hospitalization from the flu, which saves medicare money.
This years flu vaccine is 62% effective, in other words if you have the flu shot, you are 62% less likely to get it. It is never 100%.
Thus, its benefits are more economic. I will tell you as an internist , we get stuck with the flu admissions, I have had 30 admissions for the elderly due to flu in the last 3 weeks. All but 4, did not get the flu shot. So, I believe it does prevent hospitalization in the elderly...
if you are young and healthy, don't need it. I get it because I can't afford to miss even 1 day of work