Looking at various articles and studies (none as crazy as the 'children's health defense' You can see that influenza vaccinations have little to no effect on contracting SARS Cov-2
I cant paste the entire articles here but I advise you to read the whole thing as conclusions can otherwise be nuanced
https://www.medrxiv....22278264v1.full
The concurrent timing of the COVID-19 pandemic and the seasonal occurrence of influenza, makes it especially important to analyze the possible effect of the influenza vaccine on the risk of contracting COVID-19, or in reducing the complications caused by both diseases, especially in vulnerable populations. There is very little scientific information on the possible protective role of the influenza vaccine against the risk of contracting COVID-19, particularly in groups at high-risk of influenza complications. Reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19 in high-risk patients (those with a higher risk of infection, complications, and death) is essential to improve public well-being and to reduce hospital pressure and the collapse of primary health centers. Apart from overlapping in time, COVID-19 and flu share common aspects of transmission, so that measures to protect against flu might be effective in reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19.
In this study, we conclude that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is reduced if patients are vaccinated against flu, but the reduction is small (0.22%) and therefore not clinically important. When this reduction is analysed based on the risk factor suffered by the patient, statistically significant differences have been obtained for patients with cardiovascular problems, diabetics, chronic lung and chronic kidney, in all four cases the reduction in the risk of contagion does not reach 1%.
It is worth highlighting the behaviour that is completely different from the rest of the data for institutionalized patients. The data for these patients does not suggest a reduction in the risk of contagion for patients vaccinated against the flu, but rather the opposite, a significant increase of 6%.
Socioeconomic conditions, as measured by the MEDEA deprivation index, explain increases in the risk of contracting COVID-19, and awareness campaigns should be increased to boost vaccination programs.
This research was conducted this year. Your article was done in April 2020 when the Sars Cov2 was new. Were they comparing it to a common cold but using the context of corona virus to mean Sars Cov2? Dishonest and grubby but I'd expect nothing less from an antivaxxer network whose mission is to end vaccinations of any kind
Here is another. Currently in Pre Print showing as much as 30% reduction in risk but again, read the whole thing
https://www1.racgp.o...-covid-19-study
Recent influenza vaccination was associated with a 30% reduction in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection by the original virus, before introduction of variants of concern. Recent influenza vaccination was also associated with a 90% reduction in the risk of severe COVID-19, but the 95% confidence interval of the effectiveness estimate was wide. Incidence of severe COVID-19 was rare among those vaccinated, with only one case of severe COVID-19 documented among them.
Here is another (read the whole thing)
https://academic.oup...16/2285/5842161
In this 7-season analysis by the Canadian SPSN, influenza vaccine was protective against medically attended ILI due to influenza viruses, significantly reducing the risk by more than 40%. Conversely, influenza vaccine had no effect on noninfluenza causes of ILI, with the likelihood of vaccination among NIRV cases relative to test-negative controls approaching unity. In particular, influenza vaccine did not affect seasonal coronavirus risk. Our findings provide reassurance against the speculation that influenza vaccine may negatively affect COVID-19 risk. Addressing such speculation is important to maintain influenza vaccine coverage through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
It is also important to understand what it means by RISK. In Australia during 2020-2021, the risk was next to 0% simply because we didn't have covid. The risk was obviously higher in America where it was almost omnipresent. Your own geographical location, coupled by your initial health and wellbeing changes the numbers dramatically. As always - talk to your doctor. Not an antivaxxer network who is known for lying.
And here is an article discussing living with both covid-19 and influenza together and the best way forward (read the whole thing)
https://onlinelibrar....1111/irv.12824
The continued co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses is expected to present global challenges to healthcare systems. It is important that we anticipate and consider a holistic approach to this double threat, which may present a severe challenge due to a simultaneous burden of both diseases. We propose a series of key recommendations for stakeholders, public health authorities, primary care physicians and surveillance systems that will help to mitigate the combined risks of concurrent influenza and COVID-19 epidemics (Table 1). Maximizing the use of influenza vaccines and antivirals will lead to a reduction in influenza burden even in the absence of similar options for COVID-19. It is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to novel innovations in infectious disease healthcare, including rapid diagnostics and increased use of telemedicine and contact tracing, which will also mitigate the influenza burden if implemented effectively. Optimal use of these evolving technologies, combined with increased global surveillance capacities, will ensure we are better equipped to deal with future outbreaks of both influenza and COVID-19.
What we can be pretty sure of is that influenza vaccines should not be avoided if you are in a high risk group of potentially having serious adverse outcomes or even high risk of death from infection. If your doctor advises you take it, they know more about you and your body than some charlatan on the internet making money stirring the outrage pot.
We have vaccines which combine influenza and covid in one as well - I think the medical experts who have devoted their career in the field know what they are doing. Certainly more than someone who has never studied biology or worked in a lab giving their opinion based on the BS they read on the internet from anti vaxxer trolls
Honestly, if you guys are going to mark the 'Childrens Health Defense' as 'Informative' and 'Good Point' while actual studies from career scientists, researchers and indisputable FACTS as 'ill informed' then really this site has gone off the rails and into the canyon. Thankfully, most of the world disagrees with your side. Probably because your antivaxxer side lacks any evidence and only clings onto conspiracy theories and ignorant speculations on how you think things work.
The real sad thing is, the longer you guys peddle this BS and empower the contrarians, the more children are going to suffer and some die from vaccine preventable diseases because antivaxxers like yourselves are trying to cut the confidence not just for the covid vaccine, but every vaccine. Are you guys are proud of this kind of legacy? "to conquer the blight of involuntary death" should probably read as "to ensure the blight of involuntary death" given the rhetoric here and the people and organisations you give credibility to.
Yes. Mark this post as unfriendly lol. The truth doesn't always have a friendly bedside manner. It isn't always popular, but it is always right.