Although CDC estimates for flu vaccine effectiveness vary widely year to year, they are always reported to be overall positive. The assumption is that some protection is always better than no protection, and that at worst the vaccine would be 0% effective. A careful read of their referenced studies, however…

The CDC recommends a two-dose vaccination schedule for chicken pox for all eligible children in the U.S. Why, though, have many public health institutions in other industrialized countries chosen NOT to universally recommend this vaccine? Eula Biss, Northwestern University writing professor in my home town and author of the wildly…