The decision is almost upon us whether or not to be vaccinated for the coming flu. It is important that you become educated about the facts and the myths and then make an educated decision for yourself and your family. Everyone’s circumstance is different so ponder the advantages and disadvantages. It is wise to think about it in advance so that you are mentally and emotionally prepared before the decision is to be made. Please take the time to arm yourself with information so you will feel empowered to have made a conscious informed decision based on facts and your particular circumstances. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions you want answered.
The flu http://www.medicinenet.com/influenza/article.htm (or common flu) is a viral infection http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11557 that is spread from person to person in secretions of the nose and lungs, for example when sneezing. Medically, it is referred to as influenza. Flu is a respiratory infection, that is, an infection that develops primarily in the lungs. Respiratory infections caused by other viruses often are called flu, but this is incorrect. Influenza usually causes higher fever more malaise, and severe body aches than other respiratory infections. Although other viruses may cause these symptoms, they do so less commonly.
The "swine flu" http://www.medicinenet.com/swine_flu/article.htm of 2009 is caused by a novel influenza A virus designated H1N1 based upon its surface protein types. This virus was originally referred to as "swine flu" because many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. However, this new virus is actually quite different from the typical swine flu viruses found in pigs. The novel H1N1 virus www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=104297)first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April 2009. H1N1 flu is spread from person to person, unlike typical swine flu as described above, although it is not clear how easily the virus is able to spread among people.
Each year, the influenza virus can change slightly, making the vaccine used in previous years ineffective. Each year, a new vaccine must be prepared that will be effective against the expected type of influenza virus. The trick is to be able to predict which influenza viruses are going to cause infection and to prepare a vaccine against those viruses. Usually, scientists can predict accurately which types of influenza virus will cause infections and prepare an appropriate vaccine. The vaccine is generally effective against the influenza virus within two weeks of administration. The vaccine is only effective against the strains of the virus that match the vaccine. These strains vary from flu season to flu season each year. This is the reason that revaccination is required annually with the vaccine that matches the strains of influenza that are currently prevalent.
Flu vaccination does not protect against infection caused by microbes other than the influenza virus. Flu vaccination does not protect against infection caused by microbes other than the influenza virus. Side effects include soreness at the site of the injection, muscle aching, fever, and feeling unwell. Serious allergic reactions have been reported.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain-Barr%C3%A9_syndrome is an illness characterized by fever, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. In 1976, vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with development of GBS.
The nasal-spray flu vaccine (sometimes called LAIV for live attenuated influenza vaccine, brand name FluMist) was first licensed in 2003. It is directed against the same strains of virus as the flu shot but differs in that it contains weakened live influenza viruses instead of killed viruses and is administered by nasal spray instead of injection. The vaccine is termed an attenuated vaccine because the viruses are weakened so that they do not cause severe flu symptoms. The nasal spray flu vaccine (LAIV) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) http://www.fda.gov/ for use in nonpregnant healthy people between 2 and 49 years of age.
People at risk for serious complications from the flu should not receive the nasal spray flu vaccine. In particular, certain groups are advised to receive the inactivated flu vaccine rather than the nasal spray vaccine, including
• children younger than 5 years of age who have recurrent wheezing,
• people with chronic health problems, including heart and lung disease,
• pregnant women,
• people with suppressed immune function and those who care for or come into contact with those with a suppressed immune system,
• adults over age 50 or children 6 months to 2 years of age, and
• children or adolescents receiving aspirin therapy.
The live viruses in the nasal-spray vaccine are weakened so that they do not cause severe symptoms. However, mild symptoms can occur as a side effect of the vaccination. Side effects of the nasal-spray flu vaccine can include runny nose, headache, sore throat, and cough. Children who receive the vaccine may also develop mild fever and muscle aches.
Now let us talk about Reasons not to get a flu shot: www.associatedcontent.com/article/418809/reasons_not_to_get_a_flu_shot.html?cat=5)
One of the biggest health concerns right now is the discovery of mercury in many things we use on a daily basis and in our children's toys. If this is such a concern, why then are people rushing out to put mercury in their systems? That's right, flu shots contain parts of mercury. Actually, flu shots contain ethylene glycol, phenol, formaldehyde, aluminum and mercury.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), http://www.epa.gov/ the maximum allowable daily exposure to mercury is 0.1 microgram per kilogram of body weight. The vaccine for young babies called Fluzone contains 25 micrograms of mercury per 0.5 ml dose! Is this vaccination supposed to protect or poison our children? Alzheimer's Disease was TEN TIMES higher than if they had two or less shots! When asked why this was, he concluded that it was due to the mercury and aluminum that is in every flu shot (and most childhood shots). This information was delivered at the 1997 National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) http://www.nvic.org/ International Vaccine Conference.
A Vancouver neuroscientist named Chris Shaw has also shown a link between the aluminum hydroxide used in the flu vaccines, and symptoms associated with Parkinson's,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis
It's important to know that there are many different strains of the influenza virus. Doctors can not predict which strain will hit each year. Because of this, the flu shot is not even a guarantee that a person will not get the flu. They say that if a person that gets the shot does end up coming down with the flu, the symptoms will not be as bad and should have fewer all together.
Speaking in general, people who should not get the flu shot regardless of your beliefs in it include infants under 6 months old, anyone who is severely allergic to eggs and egg products (because some ingredients in the flu shot are grown in eggs), anyone who has ever had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination in the past, anyone with Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare condition that affects the immune system and nerves), or anyone with a fever.
Your body is made to fight infections on its own...let it do its job naturally. Don't take the chance of something worse happening now or in the long run by introducing a harmful substance into your body.
Let's switch our attention over to the elderly now. There is a big push for the elderly to get flu shots to protect them from getting the influenza virus. But what about the long term effects of these shots? Or even the short term effects on someone who has a suppressed immune system? If you have a disease or sickness that is already lowering your body's ability to fight a virus, and you introduce the flu virus into your body through the shot, you have just put your body in danger of getting the full effects of the flu. In the elderly, this combination of factors could lead to a dangerous and possibly horrible end. Not only could the elderly end up with the flu, but now they are even more susceptible to pneumonia and other contagious diseases.
One in three nurses say they will not be immunized against swine flu, despite being offered the vaccine as a priority to protect patients. Concerns about the vaccine’s safety and a perception that the infection is mild are among reasons that NHS staff gave for refusing to have the vaccination, a survey of nearly 1,500 staff found. Frontline health and social care workers will be offered the vaccination in October, along with patients in at-risk groups — such as those with diabetes, asthma or pregnant women. In the online survey for Nursing Times magazine,http://www.nursingtimes.net/ 30 per cent of nurses said that they would not get immunized when the vaccine for H1N1 became available; 37 per cent said they would. Thirty-three per cent were undecided. Of those who said that they would not be vaccinated, 60 per cent cited concern about the safety of the vaccine as the main reason. Thirty-one per cent said they did not consider the risks to their health from swine flu to be great enough.
Two possible vaccines are being tested in trials run by the University of Leicester and the Health Protection Agency to assess immunity levels and identify side-effects. A decision on licensing is expected at the end of September, with nearly 55 million doses expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/11/26/flu-shots-part-two.aspx
As you consider your decision, read this information by Dr. Mercola..you will find it quite interesting.
Here are some of the the constituents of a flu shot: Ethylene glycol, phenol, formaldehyde, aluminum. Thimerosl, neomycin, streptomycin Ethylene glycol (antifreeze), Phenol, also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye), Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent, Aluminum, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease and seizures and also cancer producing in laboratory mice (it is used as an additive to promote antibody response), Thimerosal (a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease, Neomycin and Streptomycin (used as antibiotics) have caused allergic reaction in some people. Vaccines are also grown and strained through animal or human tissue like monkey kidney tissue, chicken embryo, embryonic guinea pig cells, calf serum, and human diploid cells (the dissected organs of aborted human fetuses as in the case of rubella, hepatitis A, and chickenpox vaccines).
Well, I refuse to put all of the above in my body, and I hope when your doctor starts telling you it's time for your annual flu shot that you'll require him to defend the annual injection. You or your insurance company's probably paying eighty bucks for a visit, so get your money's worth.
Have your doctor read you the insert that comes with the vaccine.
Then have him/her explain why it makes sense to inject toxic chemicals into the human body and how such substances can aid the delicate immune system.
Chances are he/she will fall back on questionable statistical and demographic explanations that the medical establishment has used for decades to justify immunization.
Try to engage your doctor in a non-confrontational discussion because this is an opportunity for him/her to actually give some serious thought to what he/she is injecting into bodies of patients day after day after day.
Many traditional doctors who haven't studied diet and lifestyle aren't going to change unless we help to educate them to what drugs and vaccines may really be doing long-term to people.
Okay, to speak from personal experience for a moment, let's look over our shoulders to 1990, a time period before the Day family turned to natural methods of building health.
In February of 1990, right after my wife's major cancer surgery in January, her doctor recommended a flu shot.
Almost immediately after the injection, my wife started feeling ill.
Overnight she came down with the worst case of flu she'd ever had.
She went to bed and literally didn't get up again for more than a few hours at a time for years afterwards. Only now, almost a decade later, is she finally regaining full health and energy.
Okay, I'm a realist so if was still thinking traditionally, part of me would almost buy into the typical rationale for flu vaccines, that so many people are spared the annual flu and only a few die or have their lives ruined after being injected.
And when one digs into the vaccine history (check out the Swine Flu vaccine if you want a real horror story) and scientific research (especially in Europe), it quickly becomes apparent that nobody really knows what these toxic stews of chemicals and microorganisms do in the human body.
Okay, I can understand that, but my next question would be "Which is better? Some rest time with the flu or having toxic chemicals injected into your bloodstream?"
I mean, seriously, before I got healthy I almost looked forward to a yearly bout with influenza because it meant I could go to bed and get some rest instead of working practically every waking moment of my life.
I might add that I haven't missed more than two consecutive days of work from an illness for almost five years, so a non-vaccine approach does work for me. This non-drug approach has resulted in a level of health that continually amazes me, especially when I see other men and women my age who are miserable and without energy. Men and women who spend all too much of their time drifting from doctor to doctor in endless pursuit of solutions that don't get to the cause of their problems -- diet and life style.
Why the Flu Vaccine Doesn't Work
A bit about immunology and biochemistry
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., http://chemistry.about.com/bio/Anne-Marie-Helmenstine-Ph-D-7815.htm The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/ is looking at whether or not the flu vaccine is effective. Preliminary results indicate you'll get just as sick (with colds, flu, flu-like illnesses) if you got the vaccine than if you didn't. Why doesn't the vaccine work? In order to understand the answer, you'll need to understand some specifics about the flu vaccine and a bit about how immunity works.
There is no single virus that causes the flu; there is no one flu vaccine that protects against all of them. A flu vaccine is designed to confer immunity against the strains of flu that are expected to be most common and most serious. The vaccine is a sort of one-size-fits-all solution, even though there are more types of flu than covered by the vaccine and the flu types vary according to region. It takes time to produce vaccines, so a new vaccine can't be instantly produced when a new type of flu starts to cause problems.
The Vaccine and Immunity
The flu vaccine gives your body parts of inactivated flu viruses. These virus parts correspond to parts of proteins floating around in your body. When the virus part contacts a chemical 'match', it stimulates the body to produce the cells and antibodies that can remove this particular intruder. Antibodies are proteins that float in body fluids and can bind to specific chemical markers. When an antibody binds to a substance, it essentially marks it for destruction by other cells. However, an antibody for one type of flu won't necessarily bind to a virus part from another type of flu. You don't get protection against other viruses. A flu vaccine can only stimulate your immune system to protect you against the viruses in the vaccine, with some lesser protection against very similar ones.
Incomplete Protection Against Intended Targets
You may not even get protection against the intended virus. Why? First, because viruses change over time. The piece that was in the vaccine may not 'look' the same (chemically) as the real thing (months later, after all!). Second, the vaccine may not have given you enough stimulation to fight off the disease.
Let's review what's happened so far: the inactivated virus piece has found a chemical match in your body. This causes an immune response, so your body has started to gear up its production of antibodies and similar markers on cells that can mark the virus for destruction or kill it outright. It's like calling up an army for a battle. Will your body win the fight when the real virus comes to call? Yes, if you have enough defenses built up. However, you will still get the flu if:
your body isn't fast enough producing a response
get the vaccine and get exposed to the flu too soon (less than 2 weeks)
too much time between vaccination and exposure (loses its effectiveness over time)
you don't produce enough of a response
overwhelmed by exposure to a high level of the virus
your body couldn't recognize the initial virus piece (determined by genetics)
your body didn't make enough antibodies/cells (common in older people or people with suppressed immune systems)
the virus as changed beyond your body's ability to recognize it
the part of the virus that was in the vaccine can't be detected by the body in the intact virus
Waste of Time?
Yes and no... the flu vaccine will be more effective some years than others. The CDC predicted that the vaccine developed for the winter of 2003/2004 wasn't going to be effective against most cases of the flu because the strains covered by the vaccine weren't the same as the strains that were common. Highly targeted vaccines work, but only against their targets! There's no point in accepting the risks of a vaccine for a disease you can't get. When the flu vaccine is on-target, it's more effective. Even then, the vaccine isn't perfect because it uses inactivated virus. Is that bad? No. A live vaccine is more effective, but much more risky.
Bottom line: The flu vaccine varies in effectiveness from year-to-year. Even in a best-case scenario, it won't always protect against the flu. The CDC study didn't say that the vaccine didn't work; it says the vaccine didn't protect people from getting sick. Even with imperfect effectiveness, the vaccine is indicated for certain people. In my opinion, however, the vaccine isn't for everyone and certainly shouldn't be required for otherwise healthy people.
Stop Worrying About the Flu
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
Like diehard fans camping out overnight to be the first in line for concert tickets to their favorite performer, people are waiting in long lines hoping to get the flu vaccine. Yes, it's that time of year -- flu season and the media and the government have stirred the public into complete panic mode. Headlines flood newspapers reading, "Vaccine shortage leads public crisis" and on the hour radio broadcasts are bombarding the public with reports that the flu epidemic is coming and there aren't enough vaccines to fight it.
Before You Run Out to Get the Flu Shot ... Do Your Homework
It's becoming increasingly difficult to separate facts from the hype created by the media and government officials. In order to make an informed decision of whether or not to get the flu shot, it is of utmost importance to do your homework. This involves doing thorough research of the safety issues surrounding the flu vaccination and then learning the preventative measures against getting the flu in the first place.
The Target Markets for the Flu Vaccine: Elderly and Children
Generally, the flu vaccine is recommended for people ages 65 and older and to those with serious medical conditions that could quickly worsen as a result of serious complications from the flu. Reports from medical journals widely vary in the effectiveness for the elderly, ranging from 0 to 85 percent.
The CDC reports that 90 percent of deaths from influenza occur among the elderly. These kinds of statistics make it nearly impossible to credit the flu vaccine for prolonging lives in this age group, as 65 percent of all deaths (regardless of the cause) happen among the elderly.
Further, there are potential dangers to the flu vaccine, particularly to the already vulnerable elderly population. Dr. Hugh Fudenberg, one of the world's leading immunogeneticists, states the chances of getting Alzheimer's disease is 10 times higher if an individual has five consecutive shots than if they have one, two or no shots. This is likely due to the thimerosol (a mercury-derived preservative) and aluminum content of the vaccine.
Recommendations to give flu vaccinations to children were adopted on March 1, 2003. These recommendations include vaccinating children between 2 and 18 years who live in households containing children younger than 2 years of age. The most common type of flu vaccine given to children is called Fluzone, with each dose containing 25 ug of mercury. CDC recommendations include administering the flu vaccine to children beginning at six months of age and then on an annual basis, for the rest of their lives.
Does the Flu Vaccine Really Work?
The flu vaccine can actually weaken the immune system and make you more predisposed to the illness.
The flu vaccine, whether in the shot or nasal form, is worthless at best and should be avoided. Not only are they loaded with toxic chemicals including mercury and aluminum, but many people come down with the flu shortly after receiving the shot. This is because it actually weakens the immune system, making the person more predisposed to the illness.
The Dangers You Need to Know About FluMist
First, it is important to familiarize yourself with the side effects of FluMist, which include cough, runny nose/nasal congestion, irritability, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fever. Ironically, all of these symptoms bear striking similarities to the symptoms of the flu.
In addition, research has shown an increased risk of Bell palsy following intranasal flu vaccination, according to the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS). http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/en/ The makers of the nasal flu vaccine in the study decided not to market it the following season due to the risk. According to GACVS, the greater risk of Bell palsy following immunization with this vaccine may have been due to specific vaccine components, or simply to use of the intranasal administration route. It is therefore possible that such complications of vaccine administration may also apply to other nasal vaccines.
The new live-virus vaccine (FLUMIST), which is squirted up the nose, was licensed by the FDA in June 2003 for use in healthy individuals between the ages of five and 50. It is not recommended for pregnant women or those with asthma, chronic lung or heart disease; chronic underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney disorders; immune suppression or immune system problems; children or adolescents receiving aspirin therapy, anyone allergic to eggs; or those with a history of Guillain Barre syndrome. It should not be given simultaneously with other vaccines.
FLUMIST's vaccine live virus is shed after vaccination so the vaccinated are advised to avoid close contact with immune-compromised individuals for at least 21 days. Some hospital personnel are asking those recently vaccinated with FLUMIST to avoid visiting patients in hospitals to prevent the risk of transmitting the vaccine strain virus to sick patients.
We’ve only scratched the surface on this subject, but at least now you are getting closer to be able to make an informed decision. I realize many of your questions will still not be answered so don’t hesitate to ask.
The viruses that are used to prepare flu vaccine are grown in eggs.
The flu http://www.medicinenet.com/influenza/article.htm (or common flu) is a viral infection http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11557 that is spread from person to person in secretions of the nose and lungs, for example when sneezing. Medically, it is referred to as influenza. Flu is a respiratory infection, that is, an infection that develops primarily in the lungs. Respiratory infections caused by other viruses often are called flu, but this is incorrect. Influenza usually causes higher fever more malaise, and severe body aches than other respiratory infections. Although other viruses may cause these symptoms, they do so less commonly.
The "swine flu" http://www.medicinenet.com/swine_flu/article.htm of 2009 is caused by a novel influenza A virus designated H1N1 based upon its surface protein types. This virus was originally referred to as "swine flu" because many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. However, this new virus is actually quite different from the typical swine flu viruses found in pigs. The novel H1N1 virus www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=104297)first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April 2009. H1N1 flu is spread from person to person, unlike typical swine flu as described above, although it is not clear how easily the virus is able to spread among people.
Each year, the influenza virus can change slightly, making the vaccine used in previous years ineffective. Each year, a new vaccine must be prepared that will be effective against the expected type of influenza virus. The trick is to be able to predict which influenza viruses are going to cause infection and to prepare a vaccine against those viruses. Usually, scientists can predict accurately which types of influenza virus will cause infections and prepare an appropriate vaccine. The vaccine is generally effective against the influenza virus within two weeks of administration. The vaccine is only effective against the strains of the virus that match the vaccine. These strains vary from flu season to flu season each year. This is the reason that revaccination is required annually with the vaccine that matches the strains of influenza that are currently prevalent.
Flu vaccination does not protect against infection caused by microbes other than the influenza virus. Flu vaccination does not protect against infection caused by microbes other than the influenza virus. Side effects include soreness at the site of the injection, muscle aching, fever, and feeling unwell. Serious allergic reactions have been reported.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain-Barr%C3%A9_syndrome is an illness characterized by fever, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. In 1976, vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with development of GBS.
The nasal-spray flu vaccine (sometimes called LAIV for live attenuated influenza vaccine, brand name FluMist) was first licensed in 2003. It is directed against the same strains of virus as the flu shot but differs in that it contains weakened live influenza viruses instead of killed viruses and is administered by nasal spray instead of injection. The vaccine is termed an attenuated vaccine because the viruses are weakened so that they do not cause severe flu symptoms. The nasal spray flu vaccine (LAIV) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) http://www.fda.gov/ for use in nonpregnant healthy people between 2 and 49 years of age.
People at risk for serious complications from the flu should not receive the nasal spray flu vaccine. In particular, certain groups are advised to receive the inactivated flu vaccine rather than the nasal spray vaccine, including
• children younger than 5 years of age who have recurrent wheezing,
• people with chronic health problems, including heart and lung disease,
• pregnant women,
• people with suppressed immune function and those who care for or come into contact with those with a suppressed immune system,
• adults over age 50 or children 6 months to 2 years of age, and
• children or adolescents receiving aspirin therapy.
The live viruses in the nasal-spray vaccine are weakened so that they do not cause severe symptoms. However, mild symptoms can occur as a side effect of the vaccination. Side effects of the nasal-spray flu vaccine can include runny nose, headache, sore throat, and cough. Children who receive the vaccine may also develop mild fever and muscle aches.
Now let us talk about Reasons not to get a flu shot: www.associatedcontent.com/article/418809/reasons_not_to_get_a_flu_shot.html?cat=5)
One of the biggest health concerns right now is the discovery of mercury in many things we use on a daily basis and in our children's toys. If this is such a concern, why then are people rushing out to put mercury in their systems? That's right, flu shots contain parts of mercury. Actually, flu shots contain ethylene glycol, phenol, formaldehyde, aluminum and mercury.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), http://www.epa.gov/ the maximum allowable daily exposure to mercury is 0.1 microgram per kilogram of body weight. The vaccine for young babies called Fluzone contains 25 micrograms of mercury per 0.5 ml dose! Is this vaccination supposed to protect or poison our children? Alzheimer's Disease was TEN TIMES higher than if they had two or less shots! When asked why this was, he concluded that it was due to the mercury and aluminum that is in every flu shot (and most childhood shots). This information was delivered at the 1997 National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) http://www.nvic.org/ International Vaccine Conference.
A Vancouver neuroscientist named Chris Shaw has also shown a link between the aluminum hydroxide used in the flu vaccines, and symptoms associated with Parkinson's,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis
It's important to know that there are many different strains of the influenza virus. Doctors can not predict which strain will hit each year. Because of this, the flu shot is not even a guarantee that a person will not get the flu. They say that if a person that gets the shot does end up coming down with the flu, the symptoms will not be as bad and should have fewer all together.
Speaking in general, people who should not get the flu shot regardless of your beliefs in it include infants under 6 months old, anyone who is severely allergic to eggs and egg products (because some ingredients in the flu shot are grown in eggs), anyone who has ever had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination in the past, anyone with Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare condition that affects the immune system and nerves), or anyone with a fever.
Your body is made to fight infections on its own...let it do its job naturally. Don't take the chance of something worse happening now or in the long run by introducing a harmful substance into your body.
Let's switch our attention over to the elderly now. There is a big push for the elderly to get flu shots to protect them from getting the influenza virus. But what about the long term effects of these shots? Or even the short term effects on someone who has a suppressed immune system? If you have a disease or sickness that is already lowering your body's ability to fight a virus, and you introduce the flu virus into your body through the shot, you have just put your body in danger of getting the full effects of the flu. In the elderly, this combination of factors could lead to a dangerous and possibly horrible end. Not only could the elderly end up with the flu, but now they are even more susceptible to pneumonia and other contagious diseases.
One in three nurses say they will not be immunized against swine flu, despite being offered the vaccine as a priority to protect patients. Concerns about the vaccine’s safety and a perception that the infection is mild are among reasons that NHS staff gave for refusing to have the vaccination, a survey of nearly 1,500 staff found. Frontline health and social care workers will be offered the vaccination in October, along with patients in at-risk groups — such as those with diabetes, asthma or pregnant women. In the online survey for Nursing Times magazine,http://www.nursingtimes.net/ 30 per cent of nurses said that they would not get immunized when the vaccine for H1N1 became available; 37 per cent said they would. Thirty-three per cent were undecided. Of those who said that they would not be vaccinated, 60 per cent cited concern about the safety of the vaccine as the main reason. Thirty-one per cent said they did not consider the risks to their health from swine flu to be great enough.
Two possible vaccines are being tested in trials run by the University of Leicester and the Health Protection Agency to assess immunity levels and identify side-effects. A decision on licensing is expected at the end of September, with nearly 55 million doses expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/11/26/flu-shots-part-two.aspx
As you consider your decision, read this information by Dr. Mercola..you will find it quite interesting.
Here are some of the the constituents of a flu shot: Ethylene glycol, phenol, formaldehyde, aluminum. Thimerosl, neomycin, streptomycin Ethylene glycol (antifreeze), Phenol, also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye), Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent, Aluminum, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease and seizures and also cancer producing in laboratory mice (it is used as an additive to promote antibody response), Thimerosal (a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease, Neomycin and Streptomycin (used as antibiotics) have caused allergic reaction in some people. Vaccines are also grown and strained through animal or human tissue like monkey kidney tissue, chicken embryo, embryonic guinea pig cells, calf serum, and human diploid cells (the dissected organs of aborted human fetuses as in the case of rubella, hepatitis A, and chickenpox vaccines).
Well, I refuse to put all of the above in my body, and I hope when your doctor starts telling you it's time for your annual flu shot that you'll require him to defend the annual injection. You or your insurance company's probably paying eighty bucks for a visit, so get your money's worth.
Have your doctor read you the insert that comes with the vaccine.
Then have him/her explain why it makes sense to inject toxic chemicals into the human body and how such substances can aid the delicate immune system.
Chances are he/she will fall back on questionable statistical and demographic explanations that the medical establishment has used for decades to justify immunization.
Try to engage your doctor in a non-confrontational discussion because this is an opportunity for him/her to actually give some serious thought to what he/she is injecting into bodies of patients day after day after day.
Many traditional doctors who haven't studied diet and lifestyle aren't going to change unless we help to educate them to what drugs and vaccines may really be doing long-term to people.
Okay, to speak from personal experience for a moment, let's look over our shoulders to 1990, a time period before the Day family turned to natural methods of building health.
In February of 1990, right after my wife's major cancer surgery in January, her doctor recommended a flu shot.
Almost immediately after the injection, my wife started feeling ill.
Overnight she came down with the worst case of flu she'd ever had.
She went to bed and literally didn't get up again for more than a few hours at a time for years afterwards. Only now, almost a decade later, is she finally regaining full health and energy.
Okay, I'm a realist so if was still thinking traditionally, part of me would almost buy into the typical rationale for flu vaccines, that so many people are spared the annual flu and only a few die or have their lives ruined after being injected.
And when one digs into the vaccine history (check out the Swine Flu vaccine if you want a real horror story) and scientific research (especially in Europe), it quickly becomes apparent that nobody really knows what these toxic stews of chemicals and microorganisms do in the human body.
Okay, I can understand that, but my next question would be "Which is better? Some rest time with the flu or having toxic chemicals injected into your bloodstream?"
I mean, seriously, before I got healthy I almost looked forward to a yearly bout with influenza because it meant I could go to bed and get some rest instead of working practically every waking moment of my life.
I might add that I haven't missed more than two consecutive days of work from an illness for almost five years, so a non-vaccine approach does work for me. This non-drug approach has resulted in a level of health that continually amazes me, especially when I see other men and women my age who are miserable and without energy. Men and women who spend all too much of their time drifting from doctor to doctor in endless pursuit of solutions that don't get to the cause of their problems -- diet and life style.
Why the Flu Vaccine Doesn't Work
A bit about immunology and biochemistry
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., http://chemistry.about.com/bio/Anne-Marie-Helmenstine-Ph-D-7815.htm The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/ is looking at whether or not the flu vaccine is effective. Preliminary results indicate you'll get just as sick (with colds, flu, flu-like illnesses) if you got the vaccine than if you didn't. Why doesn't the vaccine work? In order to understand the answer, you'll need to understand some specifics about the flu vaccine and a bit about how immunity works.
There is no single virus that causes the flu; there is no one flu vaccine that protects against all of them. A flu vaccine is designed to confer immunity against the strains of flu that are expected to be most common and most serious. The vaccine is a sort of one-size-fits-all solution, even though there are more types of flu than covered by the vaccine and the flu types vary according to region. It takes time to produce vaccines, so a new vaccine can't be instantly produced when a new type of flu starts to cause problems.
The Vaccine and Immunity
The flu vaccine gives your body parts of inactivated flu viruses. These virus parts correspond to parts of proteins floating around in your body. When the virus part contacts a chemical 'match', it stimulates the body to produce the cells and antibodies that can remove this particular intruder. Antibodies are proteins that float in body fluids and can bind to specific chemical markers. When an antibody binds to a substance, it essentially marks it for destruction by other cells. However, an antibody for one type of flu won't necessarily bind to a virus part from another type of flu. You don't get protection against other viruses. A flu vaccine can only stimulate your immune system to protect you against the viruses in the vaccine, with some lesser protection against very similar ones.
Incomplete Protection Against Intended Targets
You may not even get protection against the intended virus. Why? First, because viruses change over time. The piece that was in the vaccine may not 'look' the same (chemically) as the real thing (months later, after all!). Second, the vaccine may not have given you enough stimulation to fight off the disease.
Let's review what's happened so far: the inactivated virus piece has found a chemical match in your body. This causes an immune response, so your body has started to gear up its production of antibodies and similar markers on cells that can mark the virus for destruction or kill it outright. It's like calling up an army for a battle. Will your body win the fight when the real virus comes to call? Yes, if you have enough defenses built up. However, you will still get the flu if:
your body isn't fast enough producing a response
get the vaccine and get exposed to the flu too soon (less than 2 weeks)
too much time between vaccination and exposure (loses its effectiveness over time)
you don't produce enough of a response
overwhelmed by exposure to a high level of the virus
your body couldn't recognize the initial virus piece (determined by genetics)
your body didn't make enough antibodies/cells (common in older people or people with suppressed immune systems)
the virus as changed beyond your body's ability to recognize it
the part of the virus that was in the vaccine can't be detected by the body in the intact virus
Waste of Time?
Yes and no... the flu vaccine will be more effective some years than others. The CDC predicted that the vaccine developed for the winter of 2003/2004 wasn't going to be effective against most cases of the flu because the strains covered by the vaccine weren't the same as the strains that were common. Highly targeted vaccines work, but only against their targets! There's no point in accepting the risks of a vaccine for a disease you can't get. When the flu vaccine is on-target, it's more effective. Even then, the vaccine isn't perfect because it uses inactivated virus. Is that bad? No. A live vaccine is more effective, but much more risky.
Bottom line: The flu vaccine varies in effectiveness from year-to-year. Even in a best-case scenario, it won't always protect against the flu. The CDC study didn't say that the vaccine didn't work; it says the vaccine didn't protect people from getting sick. Even with imperfect effectiveness, the vaccine is indicated for certain people. In my opinion, however, the vaccine isn't for everyone and certainly shouldn't be required for otherwise healthy people.
Stop Worrying About the Flu
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
Like diehard fans camping out overnight to be the first in line for concert tickets to their favorite performer, people are waiting in long lines hoping to get the flu vaccine. Yes, it's that time of year -- flu season and the media and the government have stirred the public into complete panic mode. Headlines flood newspapers reading, "Vaccine shortage leads public crisis" and on the hour radio broadcasts are bombarding the public with reports that the flu epidemic is coming and there aren't enough vaccines to fight it.
Before You Run Out to Get the Flu Shot ... Do Your Homework
It's becoming increasingly difficult to separate facts from the hype created by the media and government officials. In order to make an informed decision of whether or not to get the flu shot, it is of utmost importance to do your homework. This involves doing thorough research of the safety issues surrounding the flu vaccination and then learning the preventative measures against getting the flu in the first place.
The Target Markets for the Flu Vaccine: Elderly and Children
Generally, the flu vaccine is recommended for people ages 65 and older and to those with serious medical conditions that could quickly worsen as a result of serious complications from the flu. Reports from medical journals widely vary in the effectiveness for the elderly, ranging from 0 to 85 percent.
The CDC reports that 90 percent of deaths from influenza occur among the elderly. These kinds of statistics make it nearly impossible to credit the flu vaccine for prolonging lives in this age group, as 65 percent of all deaths (regardless of the cause) happen among the elderly.
Further, there are potential dangers to the flu vaccine, particularly to the already vulnerable elderly population. Dr. Hugh Fudenberg, one of the world's leading immunogeneticists, states the chances of getting Alzheimer's disease is 10 times higher if an individual has five consecutive shots than if they have one, two or no shots. This is likely due to the thimerosol (a mercury-derived preservative) and aluminum content of the vaccine.
Recommendations to give flu vaccinations to children were adopted on March 1, 2003. These recommendations include vaccinating children between 2 and 18 years who live in households containing children younger than 2 years of age. The most common type of flu vaccine given to children is called Fluzone, with each dose containing 25 ug of mercury. CDC recommendations include administering the flu vaccine to children beginning at six months of age and then on an annual basis, for the rest of their lives.
Does the Flu Vaccine Really Work?
The flu vaccine can actually weaken the immune system and make you more predisposed to the illness.
The flu vaccine, whether in the shot or nasal form, is worthless at best and should be avoided. Not only are they loaded with toxic chemicals including mercury and aluminum, but many people come down with the flu shortly after receiving the shot. This is because it actually weakens the immune system, making the person more predisposed to the illness.
The Dangers You Need to Know About FluMist
First, it is important to familiarize yourself with the side effects of FluMist, which include cough, runny nose/nasal congestion, irritability, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fever. Ironically, all of these symptoms bear striking similarities to the symptoms of the flu.
In addition, research has shown an increased risk of Bell palsy following intranasal flu vaccination, according to the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS). http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/en/ The makers of the nasal flu vaccine in the study decided not to market it the following season due to the risk. According to GACVS, the greater risk of Bell palsy following immunization with this vaccine may have been due to specific vaccine components, or simply to use of the intranasal administration route. It is therefore possible that such complications of vaccine administration may also apply to other nasal vaccines.
The new live-virus vaccine (FLUMIST), which is squirted up the nose, was licensed by the FDA in June 2003 for use in healthy individuals between the ages of five and 50. It is not recommended for pregnant women or those with asthma, chronic lung or heart disease; chronic underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney disorders; immune suppression or immune system problems; children or adolescents receiving aspirin therapy, anyone allergic to eggs; or those with a history of Guillain Barre syndrome. It should not be given simultaneously with other vaccines.
FLUMIST's vaccine live virus is shed after vaccination so the vaccinated are advised to avoid close contact with immune-compromised individuals for at least 21 days. Some hospital personnel are asking those recently vaccinated with FLUMIST to avoid visiting patients in hospitals to prevent the risk of transmitting the vaccine strain virus to sick patients.
We’ve only scratched the surface on this subject, but at least now you are getting closer to be able to make an informed decision. I realize many of your questions will still not be answered so don’t hesitate to ask.
The viruses that are used to prepare flu vaccine are grown in eggs.
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