This article originally appeared onFocal Pointsand was republished with permission.
Guest post byNicolas Hulscher, MPH
Anew peer-reviewed studyevaluating the rollout of mass pediatric flu vaccination across an entire Spanish health region (~400,000 people) foundNO statistically significant reduction in flu cases or hospitalizationsafter authorities expanded flu shots to children 6 months to 5 years old.
Researchers analyzed6,804 primary care influenza diagnosesand3,252 influenza-related hospitalizationsbetween2018 and 2025, comparing seasons before and after the pediatric flu shot program began in 2023.
Despite the rollout, the study’s more rigorous interrupted time series analysis foundno measurable reduction in influenza diagnoses or hospital admissions among the target age groups (0–2 and 2–4 years).
In plain English: the flu shots did not meaningfully lower flu rates in young children. Kids under 5 were no less likely to show up at the doctor with the flu or end up hospitalized than expected after the rollout. In other words, the program failed to produce a measurable real-world benefit in the exact age group it was designed to protect.
Notably, researchers also looked across all age groups in the region to see whether vaccinating young children indirectly protected the broader community. Again, they foundno statistically significant reduction in flu-related hospitalizations or meaningful population-level benefitfollowing rollout.
The study ultimately concluded that routine pediatric influenza vaccination“has not been associated with a reduction in influenza cases in primary care or hospital settings.”
These results are not surprising given that theCleveland Clinic recently foundthat flu shots were associated with a 27% higher risk of flu among healthcare workers during the 2024–2025 season.
The blanket “safe and effective” vaccine narrative continues to collapse.
Source: The Vigilant Fox
