A researcher suspects his paper on flu vaccine studies was avoided by editors due to controversial findings. He shares details about CDC estimates and the test-negative study design used each year. Readers can judge the story for themselves.
Each year the CDC releases estimates of flu vaccine effectiveness from the prior season. These numbers appear in news reports and rely on a test-negative case-control study design. The author believes his own analysis of these studies met resistance from journal editors.
Over the years, published papers have followed a similar approach to analyzing the data. The author examined this common method in detail and submitted his findings. He thinks the topic proved difficult for editors to accept, leading to repeated rejections.
The author presents the full account so others can review the evidence and decide. His experience raises questions about how research on vaccine effectiveness reaches the public. The paper focused on early respiratory illness data and related analytical choices.
Original Author: Eyal Shahar | Source: Brownstone Institute
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