Researchers question effectiveness of flu jab

The influenza vaccine may not provide as much protection as previously thought, according to a new US study.

An assessment of more than 3,500 individuals aged over 65 found no link between flu vaccination and the risk of pneumonia during three flu seasons, the research published in the Lancet suggests.

However, study author Michael Jackson, a postdoctoral fellow at the Group Health Centre for Health Studies, commented that he would still want his own grandmother to receive the vaccine, suggesting it does have marginal benefits.

Co-author Lisa Jackson, a senior investigator at the Group Health Centre for Health Studies, concurred: "People aged 65 and older should still get yearly flu vaccines as usual."

Ms Jackson went on to say that scientists should nevertheless explore other options for controlling influenza levels in the oldest section of the population.

Last week, the Financial Times reported government figures which suggest that the number of people aged over 80 in the UK will have doubled by 2020.

It said authorities around the world face a dilemma in assessing what proportion of elderly people will need care in residential and nursing home environments.

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