Many of you have probably heard that the nasal flu vaccine
(Flumist) is not being recommended for use in children for the upcoming flu
season due to lack of efficacy over the past several years. While it is
certainly disappointing that this particular vaccine has been found to not be
very effective, I also find it oddly reassuring.
I find it reassuring because from my own observations, I
would not have known that it was not working. I see a small slice of the whole
picture from my perspective in one setting in Augusta County, Virginia. My
limited personal observations could lead me to develop erroneous conclusions. But
by analyzing large populations of people who received the vaccine, the doctors
and scientists who monitor these things were able to reach this conclusion. I find it comforting that the safety and efficacy of vaccines are being monitored in a systematic way that compiles information from patients all over the country. That way I can be confident that I am providing the safest, most effective treatment based on the evidence, not just on my impressions from the relatively few patients I see.
The beauty of approaching these questions scientifically is that it allows self-correction when the evidence suggests something different than what we thought we were seeing. To me, that is evidence that the system is working.
