SAGE In the News

Vaccine effectiveness

The SAGE principals have written extensively on vaccine effectiveness, especially the use of influenza vaccine to prevent deaths among seniors. We led the charge to show that flu shots do not in reality prevent flu-related deaths nearly so well as had been previously supposed. This research has been widely discussed in the technical literature and in the press.

We believe our work, along with others, have resulted in an ongoing paradigm shift towards and understanding that valid epidemiological studies are urgently needed to demonstrate benefits, as well as increased focus on the "room for improvement" in vaccine formulations and other enhanced methods for protecting seniors that may really work to cut the annual toll from influenza.

Flu Vaccine Mortality Benefits For Elderly Vastly Overstated

NIH Scientists Describe Ways to Accurately Assess Mortality ...Sep 24, 2007

NY times science mag September 2008

LA times, Sept 2008

Guardian - International news Jan 2008

Pandemic Planning and Emerging Infectious Diseases

SAGE has strong interest and expertise in the ongoing effort to prepare for the next flu pandemic, especially in the use of new research information to inform the wisest possible policy choices. SAGE principals have a current presence in historic influenza epidemiology, coined "Archaeo-epidemiology." SAGE also developed a "calculator" modeling tool that underpinned a new strategy for marketing antivirals for stockpiling.

Pandemic Influenza Research Paper in Major influenza blog CIDRAP Oct 2008