{
  "id": 79825,
  "title": "Clinical Trials Aren’t the Only Way to Know if Flu Shots Work",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/clinical-trials-arent-the-only-way-to-know-if-flu-shots-work",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-03T10:00:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/08/03/clinical-trials-aren-t-the-only-way-to-know-if-flu-shots-work/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently reconsidered its recommendation for annual flu shots in children, citing a lack of randomized controlled trials. This sparked debate, but a new study presents an alternative method for assessing vaccine efficacy, utilizing existing data and minimizing statistical bias. Accidental randomization, such as children receiving flu shots at their annual checkups based on their birth month, offers a way to measure vaccine effectiveness without conducting a new trial. In the study, children born in fall months, who were more likely to get the flu shot due to scheduling, had fewer cases of influenza compared to those with summer birthdays. This natural experiment demonstrated the vaccine's effectiveness in various flu seasons. While randomized trials remain the gold standard for evidence, they are often impractical due to cost, time, and ethical considerations. Utilizing data already collected and analyzing it through natural experiments can provide valuable insights into vaccine efficacy without the need for new trials.",
  "summary": "With a bit of creativity, evidence can be drawn from data we already have in the form of natural experiments, write Christopher M. Worsham and Anupam B. Jena.",
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. HHS reconsiders flu shot recommendation for children",
    "New study uses accidental randomization to assess vaccine efficacy",
    "Fall-born children had fewer flu cases than summer-born peers"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}