Cleveland Clinic Flu Shot Study Shows Vaccine Increased Risk of Getting the Flu
Large real-world study finds people who got the flu shot were more likely to get sick
A new study from the Cleveland Clinic is raising serious questions about the claim that annual flu shots protect people from influenza. Instead, researchers found that during the 2024–2025 flu season, people who received the flu shot were MORE LIKELY to get the flu than those who did not.
This finding directly contradicts what public health agencies, including Health Canada, continue to promote. But for many Canadians, that disconnect between government narrative and real-world results is nothing new.
What the study looked at — in plain language
Researchers followed more than 53,000 Cleveland Clinic employees during the 2024–2025 respiratory virus season. Most were healthy, working-age adults, with an average age of 42.
By the end of the season:
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82% had received the flu shot
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1,079 people tested positive for influenza
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Almost all cases were influenza A
The researchers compared how often vaccinated and unvaccinated employees got sick, while adjusting for factors like age, sex, job type, work location, and timing of vaccination.
The key finding
The flu shot did not protect people from getting the flu.
In fact, the study found negative vaccine effectiveness.
Put simply:
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People who got the flu shot had a 27% HIGHER risk of getting the flu compared to people who did not get the shot.
This result was statistically significant, meaning it was unlikely to be due to chance.
“They were just tested more” — not the explanation
When studies show poor vaccine performance, a common response is to claim vaccinated people were tested more often.
The researchers looked at this.
While vaccinated employees were slightly more likely to seek testing, the percentage of positive tests was nearly the same in both groups. This shows the higher number of flu cases among the vaccinated was not due to testing differences, but to actual illness.
A graph tracking infections over time showed that early in the season, both groups had similar rates. As flu activity increased, cases rose faster among those who were vaccinated.
This was not a high-risk group
The study did not focus on elderly or severely ill people. It looked at:
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Healthy adults
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Healthcare workers
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People often told they “need” the flu shot the most
About one in five participants worked in nursing roles, making the findings even harder to dismiss.
The researchers concluded clearly:
They found NO protective benefit from the flu shot and a HIGHER RISK of flu infection when flu activity was high.
Why official guidance doesn’t reflect this evidence
Despite findings like these, Health Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) continues to recommend annual flu shots using the same language year after year.
Its 2024–2025 influenza statement:
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Does not address this Cleveland Clinic study
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Does not explain negative effectiveness
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Continues to promote flu shots as beneficial without engaging with real-world failures
For many Canadians, trust in these institutions has already worn thin. When large, well-run studies contradict official advice — and that evidence is ignored — confidence erodes further.
Why this study matters
This was a large, real-world study conducted by a major medical institution. It measured actual illness in real people, not theoretical models or assumptions.
At minimum, the findings raise serious questions about:
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Blanket flu shot recommendations
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Claims that flu shots reliably protect healthy adults
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Whether Canadians are being given complete and honest information (clearly not)
People deserve transparency — not slogans, pressure or silence when the data tell a different story.
Ironically, Canada’s Health Minister Marjorie Michel said on a recent CBC interview that she worries about U.S. public health decisions harming Canadians. It is extremely important for Canadians to voice their concerns on all health issues to her as she is mandated to protect Canadians’ health.
Below is Nicolas Hulscher, MPH with the McCullough Foundation discussing the flu shot on a recent episode of The Highwire with Del Bigtree:
Sources:
Cleveland Clinic study (medRxiv preprint): Effectiveness of the Influenza Vaccine During the 2024–2025 Respiratory Viral Season
Gateway Pundit: Cleveland Clinic Flu Shots Study Shows Vaccine INCREASED Risk of Getting the Flu
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