The Influence of Randomness on Health

Randomness and chance occurrences can have a significant impact on our health, teaching us lessons that we can learn from. For instance, someone may be diagnosed with cancer or be involved in a car accident without any identifiable risk factors. These random events can act as natural experiments, offering insights into health outcomes. A study on the timing of annual physicals and flu shots found that children born in certain months were more likely to receive the flu shot and have better health outcomes. The study also highlighted how sometimes less medical care can be more effective, as evidenced by a strike in Israel where mortality rates remained the same during a period of reduced medical services.