The perception that “The flu shot is pointless because I get the flu even when I get vaccinated”—misunderstands the vaccine’s “true value.”
The latest 2025 data reveals that the vaccine’s effect is not merely about “reducing infection to zero,” but about “making the illness extremely mild if contracted, thus minimizing the damage to your life.”
The effectiveness in preventing severe illness is particularly high, ranging from 70% to 95% across all age groups. The difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals is stark: a 10-fold difference in the probability of hospitalization for seniors, and a 20 to 30-fold difference in the chance of being confined to bed with a high fever for five days. Furthermore, the introduction of highly effective vaccines like Fluad® (for the elderly) and the Recombinant Vaccine this year means that those aged 65 and over can expect the highest level of prevention ever recorded.
Influenza Vaccine “Effectiveness”: Complete Summary with 2025 Latest Data
| Target Group | Prevention of Illness | Prevention of Severe Illness | Prevention of Hospitalization | Prevention of Death | Notes (2025 Actual Data) |
| Healthy Children (6 months – 15 years) | 60–90% | 80–95% | Nearly 100% | – | Maximum effect with 2 doses. |
| Healthy Adults (16–64 years) | 40–60% | 70–90% | Approx. 80% | – | The effect of “milder illness” is realized. |
| Ages 65+ (Standard Vaccine) | 30–50% | 60–80% | 40–60% | Approx. 50% | Declines with increasing age. |
| Ages 65+ (Fluad High-Dose) | 50–70% | 80–95% | 70–90% | Over 70% | 1.5 to 2 times the effect of the standard vaccine. |
| Pregnant Women | 50–70% | Over 90% | Nearly 100% | – | The baby is also protected until 6 months old. |
| Underlying Conditions | 30–50% | 80–95% | 70–90% | 60–80% | Prevention of severe illness is extremely important. |
2025 “Realizing the Vaccine’s Effect in Numbers”
| Effect | If Vaccinated | If Unvaccinated | Difference |
| Probability of Catching the Flu | 1–4% | 10–20% | 5–20x difference |
| Probability of Being Bedridden with High Fever for 5 Days | Under 0.5% | 8–15% | 20–30x difference |
| Probability of Hospitalization (Ages 65+) | 0.1–0.3% | 1–3% | 10x difference |
| Absenteeism/Class Closures | Drastically reduced | Common | Maximum realization |
2025 “Common Misconceptions” vs. “The Truth”
| Misconception | The Truth |
| “I get the flu every year despite the shot, so it’s useless.” | The mildness of the illness is the effect! If you hadn’t been vaccinated, you would have had a high fever for a week. |
| “The vaccine gives you the flu.” | 100% false. You absolutely cannot get the flu from an inactivated vaccine. |
| “The epidemic will be weak this year, so I don’t need it.” | Forecasts are often wrong every year. The 2024-25 season also had an unexpectedly large epidemic. |
| “I’m healthy, so I don’t need the shot.” | Healthy people should get the shot because they “don’t want to miss work”—it’s highly beneficial. |
Conclusion
The true effect of the vaccine is “if you contract it, the illness will be extremely mild + you won’t miss much time.”
→ It is not a drug that reduces infection to zero, but it is the strongest tool available to reduce life damage by 1/10th to 1/20th! Especially this year, with the introduction of Fluad and the Recombinant Vaccine, those aged 65 and over can expect the highest level of effectiveness ever.
