No long term double blind flu vaccine studies. at Vaccination Debate Forum

"I just did a PUBMED search with the phrase "Efficacy and effectiveness of influenza vaccines" and...

561 references!"

The terminology is restricted in the journals and on PUBMED, so that is no surprise

The majority of those studies don't have anything to do with actual effectiveness, Instead they are studies on "cost-effectiveness" or they deal with particular types of influenza vaccines on particular populations.

Newborns have an immature immune system that renders them at high risk for infection while simultaneously reducing responses to most vaccines, thereby posing challenges in protecting this vulnerable population. Nevertheless, certain vaccines, such as Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) and Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV), do demonstrate safety and some efficacy at birth, providing proof of principal that certain antigen-adjuvant combinations are able to elicit protective neonatal responses. Moreover, birth is a major point of healthcare contact globally meaning that effective neonatal vaccines achieve high population penetration. Given the potentially significant benefit of vaccinating at birth, availability of a broader range of more effective neonatal vaccines is an unmet medical need and a public health priority. This review focuses on safety and efficacy of neonatal vaccination in humans as well as recent research employing novel approaches to enhance the efficacy of neonatal vaccination.

Concerns that have been raised regarding vaccination of neonates and infants include: i) doubts about efficacy given the limited capacity of neonates to respond to many Ag; and ii) potential effects on immune system polarization, including potential for triggering autoimmunity via epitope mimickry or Aj effect [13, ]. From a theoretical perspective, these concerns are in part mitigated by: i) the documented ability of newborns to respond to several vaccines including Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) and hepatitis B vaccine (as outlined below), which serves as proof of concept that neonatal vaccination can be safe and effective and; ii) the presence of extensive immunologic mechanisms for central and peripheral tolerance that eliminates self-reactive T and B cells in newborns, coupled with; iii) evidence that multiple pediatric vaccines, including BCG, are not linked to allergy or autoimmunity []. Nevertheless, despite these conceptual reassurances, novel vaccines, as any new drugs, do have the potential of inducing side-effects and must certainly undergo rigorous and on-going safety analysis, including that provided in the U.S. by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a program of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Indeed, safety concerns have prompted discontinuation and/or changes in some pediatric vaccines, with two examples discussed below.