Changes in the vaccine advisory process in the United States have disrupted immunization guidance, which reinforces the need for independent evidence review to inform decisions regarding immunization for respiratory viruses during the 2025-2026 season.
The researchers conducted a systematic review of U.S.-licensed immunizations against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza. They searched databases on PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science for updates of the most recent review by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Evidence-to-Recommendations for each disease, which was performed during the 2023-2024 period. Outcomes included vaccine efficacy and effectiveness against hospitalization, other clinical end points, and safety.
Of 17,263 identified references, 511 studies met the inclusion criteria. Covid-19 mRNA vaccines against the XBB.1.5 subvariant had pooled vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization of 46% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34 to 55; from cohort studies) and 50% (95% CI, 43 to 57; from case-control studies) among adults and 37% (95% CI, 29 to 44) among immunocompromised adults. In a case-control study, vaccines against the KP.2 subvariant showed an effectiveness of 68% (95% CI, 42 to 82). Maternal RSV vaccination (for infant protection), nirsevimab for infants, and RSV vaccines in adults who were 60 years of age or older showed vaccine effectiveness of 68% or more against hospitalization. Influenza vaccination had a pooled vaccine effectiveness of 48% (95% CI, 39 to 55) in adults between the ages of 18 and 64 years and 67% (95% CI, 58 to 75) in children against hospitalization. Safety profiles were consistent with previous evaluations. The diagnosis of myocarditis associated with Covid-19 vaccines occurred at rates of 1.3 to 3.1 per 100,000 doses in male adolescents, with lower risk associated with longer dosing intervals. The RSVPreF vaccine was associated with 18.2 excess cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome per million doses in older adults; a significant association with preterm birth was not observed when the vaccine was administered at 32 to 36 weeks’ gestation.
The authors concluded that the evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of immunizations against Covid-19, RSV, and influenza during the 2025-2026 season.
On this blog, we have a surprising amount of commentators who seem unconvinced about the benefits of vaccinations, particularly the COVID vaccinations. Therefore, I thought that this recent article might help these confused people to better understand the current evidence.
In contrast to the self-appointed ‘experts’ claiming that vaccinations do more harm than good, the authors of this excellent paper come from the most reputable institutions in the US:
- 1Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
- 2Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
- 3Department of Pediatrics, Mass General Brigham for Children and Harvard Medical School, Boston.
- 4Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston.
- 5Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
- 6Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
- 7Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI.
- 8Harvard Medical School, Boston.
- 9Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
- 10Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal.
- 11Division of Infectious Diseases, Brown University Health and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI.
- 12Division of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
- 13Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Will this new paper convince many anti-vaxers? I sure hope so but somehow I also have my doubts.
9 Responses to The safety and effectiveness of immunizations against Covid-19, RSV, and influenza
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As they say, the proof is in the pudding…and only around 20% of Americans have taken the newest Covid booster. And for the record, the most recent Covid-19 booster was made available in August, 2024 (year, over a year ago).
The public seems to know baloney when they see it…and they aren’t following the Big Pharma narrative anymore, despite what the shills say.
“The public seems to know baloney when they see it…”
IS THAT WHY YOU GUYS ELECTED TRUMP?
Reason why US voted for Trump is because Americans wanted a delicious baloney sandwich on a silver platter. Trump delivered it to them on a golden platter and they are eating it as we speak and will be for the foreseeable future.
Surely, Mr. Ullman knows that. He has been serving baloney sandwiches to his patients for a long time.
Mr Ullman advocates the use of a radionics machine, whereby a physician puts a picture of his patient on one side, and a platter of baloney sandwiches on the other side, and then sees which of the baloney sandwiches the needle points towards.
https://edzardernst.com/2017/12/homeopathy-works-for-the-flu-and-if-dana-ullman-says-so-it-must-be-true/#comment-97820
@Edzard
Dana’s comment is perfectly normal – for a homeopath, that is: the more real scientists and doctors (none of whom are affiliated with let alone paid by vaccine makers) attest to the safety and efficacy of a vaccine, the less safe and effective it must be.
The most trustworthy information about a vaccine is extremely diluted and shaken, i.e. coming from just one person who is neither a doctor or a scientist, and who fervently believes that shaking pure water magically turns it into a medicine.
Then again, Dana is somewhat right about one thing: COVID mRNA vaccines do appear to have some rather unexpected side effects.
Here is another study that points to more unexpected side effects of COVID mRNA jabs:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2510226
Shingles vaccine has unintended side effects too: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/shingles-vaccination-dementia.html
After reading the above studies Dana will be sooooo scared of vaccines that he will most likely shut himself in his underground bunker.
@Dana Ullman
OK, that’s about 67 million people …
“Only 2.1% of Americans used homeopathy in the past 12 months.”
They sure do 🙂
@Dullman
Bravo. Kennedy and Trump love sycophants who kiss their asses. 😉
At least get the saying right!
It is “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”.
Getting this wrong does not inspire confidence…