This article was written by a chiropractor. So, in my mind, it is suspect. And, of course, the vaccine primes the immune system for that particular strain.
Standard anti-vax clap trap.
I checked some of his sources and as expected don’t actually reach the conclusions he says they do. Here is the bottom line from the Osterholm paper .
Influenza vaccines can provide moderate protection against virologically confirmed influenza, but such protection is greatly reduced or absent in some seasons. Evidence for protection in adults aged 65 years or older is lacking. LAIVs consistently show highest efficacy in young children (aged 6 months to 7 years). New vaccines with improved clinical efficacy and effectiveness are needed to further reduce influenza-related morbidity and mortality.
Compare the the author conclusions from about this paper
Its not surprising that the flu vaccines haven’t been as fully tested as other meciations, since by the time the results of such a clinical trial were known, it would be a new year with a new vaccine and the old trial would be useless.
Knorf
November 18, 2013, 6:20pm
3
That guy, “Dr.” Mark, doesn’t appear to agree with the germ theory of disease.
That alone tells you all you need to know.
Also here is theCDCs stance on vaccine effectiveness.
How well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent flu illness) can range widely from season to season. The vaccine’s effectiveness also can vary depending on who is being vaccinated. At least two factors play an important role in determining the likelihood that flu vaccine will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health), and 2) the similarity or “match” between the flu viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against and the flu viruses spreading in the community. During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating viruses, it’s possible that no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed. During years when there is a good match between the flu vaccine and circulating viruses, it’s possible to measure substantial benefits from vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness. However, even during years when the vaccine match is very good, the benefits of vaccination will vary across the population, depending on characteristics of the person being vaccinated and even, potentially, which vaccine was used.
Each season researchers try to determine how well flu vaccines work to regularly assess and confirm the value of flu vaccination as a public health intervention. Study results about how well a flu vaccine works can vary based on study design, outcome(s) measured, population studied and the season in which the flu vaccine was studied. These differences can make it difficult to compare one study’s results with another’s.
While determining how well a flu vaccine works is challenging, in general, recent studies have supported the conclusion that flu vaccination benefits public health, especially when the flu vaccine is well matched to circulating flu viruses.
Actually reading the whole page is probably worth your while as it gives a fairly balanced discussion of effectiveness.