Cold and flu are a larger burden than we may think. Between treatments, illness-compromised productivity, and lost workdays, it is estimated that the common cold alone costs the U.S. $40 billion each year.
We all know the basics for reducing exposure — wash your hands, avoid touching your face, and avoid being exposed to people who are already ill. Some people may choose the influenza vaccine, however it is important to know that it is not very effective. An independent analysis of flu vaccine studies by the Cochrane Collaboration found that even under ideal conditions (vaccine completely matching circulating flu virus) 4% of unvaccinated people and 1% of vaccinated people became infected — only a minor benefit. The authors estimated that under typical conditions, 100 people need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms or you would have to be vaccinated every year for 100 years, to save yourself one flu episode. Interestingly, the study showed that flu vaccine did NOT significantly affect the number of people hospitalized or working days lost, and did not prevent flu–associated complications or those rare flu–associated deaths.
