Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Vaccination Helps You and Your Community

A recent study done in 49 Hutterite farming colonies in western Canada has provided an excellent proof that flu vaccination to schoolchildren protects a whole community from the disease. This study is receiving acclaim due to its incontrovertible evidence. The sample unit was 187 Hutterite communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The control group was injected with the flu vaccine and the placebo received hepatitis A vaccine instead. The school children group that actually received the flu vaccine had less than 5 percent getting the disease. However, the placebo group had more than 10 percent who were confirmed with the seasonal flu. This result validates the American government’s decision to vaccinate children first during the H1N1 flu pandemic because of the “protective effect” for the whole community. The flu shots to schoolchildren will also protect the elderly who are under higher-risk of getting the disease and suffering for extended period of time. Even though the hypothesis that vaccination will help the children who gets as well as the community is somewhat obvious, performing a study and getting the sample unit is pretty challenging in scientific study. The leading investigator, Dr. Loeb had to make “literally hundreds of calls” to the Hutterite communities.

No comments:

Post a Comment