- Health expert has said we are overestimating the effectiveness of flu vaccines
- Dr Chris Del Mar said hygiene methods such as handwashing are more effective
- President of AMA responded by saying both are useful in an overall approach
A public health expert has warned that the influenza vaccine has been ‘oversold’ in Australia and that simple hygiene measures are more effective at preventing the virus.
Dr Chris Del Mar, who is a Professor of Public Health at Bond University, has said that these traditional hygiene measures, such as handwashing and wearing face masks should be the focus of flu prevention campaigns according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘Influenza is indeed a true threat to public health and I am not a vaccine sceptic in general, but annual influenza vaccinations do little to protect against serious illness,’ Professor Del Mar said at a conference on the Gold Coast last week.
A public health expert has warned that the influenza vaccine has been ‘oversold’ in Australia and that simple hygiene measures are more effective at preventing the virus
He made note of a scientific review that seasonal flu vaccines only reduced the rate by under two per cent for laboratory confirmed flu cases.
‘Perhaps we should be encouraging people to wear masks much more often than is socially acceptable in Australia but is socially acceptable in places like Japan and other parts of East Asia.’
Dr Tony Bartone, president of the Australian Medical Association, acknowledged that the flu vaccine is not as effective as other vaccines, saying last year’s particularly bad flu season was partly due to an ineffective vaccine.
‘The effectiveness in our elderly population was probably as low as 30 per cent or even less,’ Dr Bartone said.
Dr Bartone said that while hygiene methods are important, so is the vaccine as part of a generalised effort to stop the potentially deadly infection from spreading.
He also said this year’s vaccine is likely to be much more effective.
Dr Chris Del Mar, who is a Professor of Public Health at Bond University, has said that these traditional hygiene measures, such as handwashing and wearing face masks should be the focus of flu prevention campaigns
Advertisement