Don't you feel that there is too much information and misinformation on whether the flu shot works or not?
I know that It can be daunting and frustrating to sort out through the real evidence vs unfounded facts. That's why I decided to do my own research and condensed all of this information within one article so that you can finally have a clear understanding of this controversial topic.
As a bonus, I am going to show you exactly how I protect my family from getting the flu- so you too can learn how to protect yours.
Let's start by learning a little bit about the flu vaccine:
What's In The Flu Shot and Is it Effective?
In case you are not aware the flu shot contains a cocktail of chemicals that you definitely do not need. Dr. Julian Whitaker further warns: thimerosal is 50% ethyl mercury the most toxic biological poison on earth.
Ethyl mercury is so toxic that the EPA requires full protective gear and self-contained air, for workers cleaning up wastewater containing 200 parts per billion.
A flu shot contains close to 25,000 ppb's. That is astronomically high and way beyond what the FDA's "recommended safe levels." With a 75% no success rate, most people end up getting the flu anyway. Now let's take a look at the cocktail of chemicals...
The Ingredients:
I don't know about you, but I do not want formaldehyde or Thimerosal (mercury) in my body. We get enough toxins from the environment as it is. Egg protein? I am sure it is not from free range, pasture or organic eggs- enough said!
The effectiveness of the flu shot depends on how well the flu vaccine is matched to the current season's viruses strand as stated by the CDC below.
Remember that the "flu" isn't always caused by the flu virus -7% of ILI (influenza-like illness) is the influenza virus, and since no one is really looking to test for the influenza virus association to pneumonia (the biggest part of the killer statistic) it is just an assumption. So how can the flu vaccine help prevent the lion's share of the deaths when the association is more with ILI?
According to Cochrane Reviews when they went to find how well vaccination helped people prevent pneumonia or death - they couldn't find any. ( Read the full article here)
Here is what the authority in Diseases (CDC) has to say about the Flu Vaccine:[note note_color="#eef5e3″ text_color="#432723″ radius="9″]During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating viruses, it's possible that no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed.
During years when there is a good match between the flu vaccine and circulating viruses, it's possible to measure substantial benefits from vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness. However, even during years when the vaccine match is very good, the benefits of vaccination will vary across the population, depending on characteristics of the person being vaccinated and even, potentially, which vaccine was used.[/note]
Who Should Not Get a Flu Shot
The CDC warns that if you have suspicions that you or anyone in your family has an egg allergy you should absolutely not get a flu shot.
Children younger than 6 months are too young to get a flu shot. People with severe, life-threatening allergies to the flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine. This might include gelatin, antibiotics, or other ingredients.
Additionally, people who have the following medical conditions:
- Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].
- Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
- Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease)
- Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
- Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
- Kidney disorders
- Liver disorders
- Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
- Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
- People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
- People who are morbidly obese (Body Mass Index, or BMI, of 40 or greater)
Note: There are certain flu shots that have different age indications. For example, people younger than 65 years of age should not get the high-dose flu shot and people who are younger than 18 years old or older than 64 years old should not get the intradermal flu shot.
Further evidence- In 2014 CDC Issues a Public Apology
For the first time we can remember, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are going on the record, saying the flu vaccine won't work this year. The warning comes just before the busiest part of flu season, in January and February. Unfortunately, there won't be any refund for any of the patients or insurance companies who spent money on flu shots earlier this fall. (source)
What Can You Do To Prevent The Flu Virus?
Remember, Your best weapon of mass prevention against any type of virus is- a strong immune system.
If you've been nourishing your body all year long you are a step ahead of the game. However, if you have been slacking in the healthy foods department - here is what I do:
- Start supplementing with the best type of Vitamin D3 (I prefer and use this liquid Vitamin D , Vitamin C, (We use this at home
) or use Coromega (which my son loves). It's a great combination of vitamin D3 and Omega 3's (try Coreomega here
)- and of course your own elderberry syrup. I like wellness mama's homemade elderberry syrup, or you can purchase a good quality one in a natural store or online.
- Adequate sleep~ meaning 7-8 solid hours of sleep at night (the earlier hours of sleep is when the body heals between 10-2 am)
- A diet rich in wholesome foods and stress management techniques is essential in getting your immune system tuned up.
- Juicing ~ is an excellent way to boost your immune system, get your vitamins, minerals, and prebiotics in one serving.
In an excerpt from an article from Roman Bistryanki he talks about the importance of supplementing with Vitamin D3:
In this randomized clinical trial, daily supplementation with 1200 IU vitamin D3 in school children between December and March showed a significant preventive effect against influenza A, although no significant difference was observed for influenza B... daily dietary probiotic supplementation was a safe effective way to reduce fever and other symptoms in small children. Moreover, a significant preventive effect of a product containing echinacea, propolis, and vitamin C on the incidence of respiratory tract infections was observed in children. [21]Robert further adds: We could use vitamin D - you produce this if you get a good amount of sunshine - probiotics, vitamin C, and other natural options. We can also be careful to wash our hands properly and even use a face mask when appropriate.
PIN it for later...
Read the full article here And finally, here is My Flu Shot Juice #1 recipe. (I will be posting a series of flu shot variations in the coming weeks)
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Now I have a question for you: Do you feel the flu shot is effective? Would you still get a flu shot after reading this article? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments below
Referenceshttps://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2013/10/15/the-flu-vaccine-something-to-sneeze-at-by-roman-bystrianyk/ https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm
