I see there is another “study” out.

Flu increases heart attack and stroke risk, study claims.

So?

A lot of things increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.  In fact we are constantly told that the main culprits are our own lifestyle choices, such as eating, drinking and of course smoking.  They always forget to mention that you can also include such things as exercise and sport.  Or old age?  Or even life itself?  Every single person who died of a heart attack was alive at one stage or other so we must include that?

Naturally they go on about “increased risk” which is a great one for startling headlines.  Amongst the few figures they quote are those aged over 75 where the risk rises five-fold which looks alarming until you realise that the risk goes from 2 per 10,000 to 10 per 10,000.  One in a thousand is pretty long odds?  I am actually surprised that that age group doesn’t have much higher rates

However the bit that intrigued me was their claim that “The findings suggest that getting the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines have a role in preventing heart attack and stroke, as well as preventing infection in the first place.”  As well as?  Are they seriously claiming that the vaccine reduces risk whether you get the flu or not?  That’s like saying that if you sign a pledge not to drink will reduce your chances of a road accident even though you’re a non-drinker anyway?

Why do I get the impression that this is just another invention to persuade us to have the flue-jab every year?

They are running a campaign here at the moment to push the HPV vaccine on school girls.  Apparently there is a huge drop in the number taking the vaccine due to the reports of very nasty side effects [including life-long Narcolepsy].

They go to great lengths to tell us that the flu and HPV vaccines are free and that we must avail of them.  But of course they aren’t free.  Someone has to pay for them and we all know who that is – the taxpayer.

I wonder if there are backhanders involved?

Surely not.