Make Your Own Flu Shot…or Just Stay Healthy in the First Place.
A recent post over at Marks Daily Apple about flu shots reminded me that tis the season for mass panic and blind faith in some magical formula to save us all. Now, I have never had a flu shot (and never will) but that is my personal choice. Heck everything I do to my body is my choice. If someone wants a flu shot it’s their choice to do, but they better know why they are doing it….and not just taking someone else’s word for it. So below I list my reasons I do not ever get a flu shot:
Because I think prevention is more important
Why do we get sick? Is it because we “catch” a cold? Well not really. We can be exposed to germs and bacteria all day long…but we have this thing called an immune system that keeps us strong. I don’t think the body was designed for a perfect clean living environment and can actually get smarter and stronger because of it. The body adapts to small acute stressors (like bacteria, exercise, etc) and learns how to become stronger and more resistant. Our modern day paranoa over all things that “could” make us sick takes away the focus from the fact that maybe we need these stressors to be healthy. Getting a flu shot does nothing to help most people take a look at how their body is really functioning and the steps they need to take in their life to become healthier and have a strong immune system.
Because I question everything
Just because someone tells me I need something, doesn’t mean I will listen. I will look into it and get my own answers. Especially when the source of the information is a system/organization based on money and profit (think flu shot companies aren’t making a killing on selling millions and millions of vaccines? Think free doesn’t mean that your tax dollars are paying for it and CEOs/stockholders are getting rich somewhere because of it?).
Because it may not even be that effective
I use the remark that the people I know who get flu shots usually get the flu while I stay healthy….so why do I want a shot? There are no guarantees a shot will even work as effectively as just living a healthy lifestyle. The flu shot is sold via the “scare tactic” marketing of how scary it is and how it kills people left and right. Really? Does it work?
Among young healthy seniors, the vaccine reduces the risk of flu, Jackson said. “When you look at the total population of seniors, which includes people over 75 and people that have chronic health diseases — lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, and things like that — we don’t know if the vaccine is effective in the seniors,” he said. “People with these chronic diseases are more susceptible to getting the flu, and they are more likely to develop pneumonia if they do get influenza.”
The report is published in the Aug. 2 issue of The Lancet.
For the study, Jackson’s team collected data on 1,173 people between the ages of 65 and 94 who developed pneumonia They compared these individuals with 2,346 people who did not get pneumonia. Both groups had similar rates of flu vaccination over the three seasons of studies, the researchers say.
The researchers found that vaccinated seniors who got the flu were as likely to develop pneumonia as unvaccinated seniors who got the flu.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/01/flu-vaccine-doesnt-protect-seniors-from-pneumonia.html
and
Some healthcare experts have wondered if large mortality reductions among older people who receive seasonal influenza immunizations are real or if the findings are biased by a “healthy-user” effect. But now a study that more rigorously controlled for confounders suggests that the benefits are overstated.
The study, by Canadian researchers who evaluated data from patients admitted to six Capital Health hospitals in Alberta, appeared in the Sep 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
It revealed no statistical difference between in-hospital mortality rates of elderly patients receiving seasonal flu vaccination and of those not vaccinated.
It is the latest among a handful of recent studies that have cast doubt on the benefits of flu vaccines for older people and may call for a reexamination of public policy on flu vaccination among the elderly.
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/general/news/aug2908vaccine-jw.html
The senior population is probably most at risk due to extremely compromised immune systems (and other health issues compounded). Pneumonia can be fatal to people if their bodies can not handle it. Although does the flu shot really protect people from getting pneumonia? Well it seems maybe their protection claims have been exaggerated.
Because you aren’t warned about side effects
Sure there can be rare side effects from all sorts of things out there, but why are we being educated about the side effects of flu shots? Let’s see, you can get a shot and it could possibly do the following:
- primarily a low grade fever for 8 to 24 hours after you receive the shot.
- a swollen, red, tender area around the vaccination spot.
- And a few people, especially children, may develop slight chills or a headache within 24 hours, but the symptoms go away within a day or so.
or you could also become paralyzed?
A New Westminster man is raising a warning flag after he contracted a rare and debilitating condition linked to the flu shot that left him paralyzed for almost five months.
Every fall, health care workers across Canada distribute 10 million influenza vaccinations, and for the vast majority of people, the flu shot causes no major problems.
Within two weeks of getting his annual flu shot in 2007, however, Richard Ryan, 44, went from being happy and healthy to being in excruciating pain.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/10/22/bc-fku-shot-paralysis.html
and who even know what strains are out there…and are we making more and more adaptive/resistant strains in the process?
ATLANTA,Georgia (CNN) –This year’s flu vaccine had little or no effectiveness against influenza-like illnesses, according to a preliminary study released Thursday.
Of the 1,000 people who got the vaccine before November 1, 149 went on to develop influenza-like illness (14.9 percent). Of the 402 people who did not get the vaccine, 68 got an influenza-like illness (16.9 percent), the study said.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/01/15/flu.vaccine/index.html
Because we are not told what is in it
Mercola has been kind enough to list the ingredients of what is in a flu shot (you know, in case you care about what you put in your body)
Do you want any of the following vaccine constituents in YOUR bloodstream?
- 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.
Healthy Preventive Lifestyle Outranks any Flu Shot
Here is some outtakes from a very interesting article written by Dr. John Cannell, Atascadero State Hospital. In it he talks about noticing how the rates of influenza and Vit D seasonal consumption may have a direct correlation. He also sees a difference in the same hospital about people being treated with Vit D and those that are not in respect to the rate at which the flu was spread.
However, as the epidemic progressed, I noticed something unusual. First, the ward below mine was infected, and then the ward on my right, left, and across the hall – but no patients on my ward became ill. My patients had intermingled with patients from infected wards before the quarantines. The nurses on my unit cross-covered on infected wards. Surely, my patients were exposed to the influenza A virus. How did my patients escape infection from what some think is the most infectious of all the respiratory viruses?
All of the patients on my ward had been taking 2,000 units of vitamin D every day for several months or longer.
vitamin D regulates genetic expression in hundreds of tissues throughout your body. This means it has as many potential mechanisms of action as genes it damasks.
A single, twenty-minute, full body exposure to summer sun will trigger the delivery of 20,000 units of vitamin D into the circulation of most people within 48 hours.
Epidemiology and Infection, known as The Journal of Hygiene in Hope-Simpson’s day, recently published our paper. The editor, Professor Norman Noah, knew Dr. Hope-Simpson and helped tremendously with the paper. In the paper, we detailed our theory that vitamin D is Hope-Simpson’s long forgotten “seasonal stimulus.” We proposed that annual fluctuations in vitamin D levels explain the seasonality of influenza.
1. Why the flu predictably occurs in the months following the winter solstice, when vitamin D levels are at their lowest,
2. Why it disappears in the months following the summer solstice,
3. Why influenza is more common in the tropics during the rainy season,
4. Why the cold and rainy weather associated with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which drives people indoors and lowers vitamin D blood levels, is associated with influenza,
5. Why the incidence of influenza is inversely correlated with outdoor temperatures,
6. Why children exposed to sunlight are less likely to get colds,
7. Why cod liver oil (which contains vitamin D) reduces the incidence of viral respiratory infections,
8. Why Russian scientists found that vitamin D-producing UVB lamps reduced colds and flu in schoolchildren and factory workers,
9. Why Russian scientists found that volunteers, deliberately infected with a weakened flu virus – first in the summer and then again in the winter – show significantly different clinical courses in the different seasons,
10. Why the elderly who live in countries with high vitamin D consumption, like Norway, are less likely to die in the winter,
11. Why children with vitamin D deficiency and rickets suffer from frequent respiratory infections,
12. Why an observant physician (Rehman), who gave high doses of vitamin D to children who were constantly sick from colds and the flu, found the treated children were suddenly free from infection,
13. Why the elderly are so much more likely to die from heart attacks in the winter rather than in the summer,
14. Why African Americans, with their low vitamin D blood levels, are more likely to die from influenza and pneumonia than Whites are.
The full text can be seen at this article on medical news today’s website.
So looks like Vit D plays a huge role in all this as well. So what can we do to help with a preventative lifestyle and keep our immune systems running strong?
- Eat Real Healthy Foods – loaded with vitamins and mineral (fruits/veg/meats)
- Avoid Sugar – as that is a great way to suppress your immune system and bring your health downward
- Get Sleep - You need it, you and I both know it. Try to skimp on it and your body will not be happy
- Stop Stressing Out – Relax during the holidays, take your time, don’t stay up late watching TV, don’t overdo the exercise, keep your body in check or suffer the consequences
- Take some Cod Liver Oil - Want a great source of Vit D? How about some cod liver oil. Cod Liver Oil has more Vit D and A and should be taken in the winter months when sun exposure is lower (take regular Fish Oil in the summer months). Or just eat some sardines (don’t they look yummy above?)….great source of Vit D and Omega 3s and much lower in other contaminants than the larger fish. (you can find some that are packed in water and already boneless, taste great!)
- Go Exercise - Get out and get a good sweat on. Your body loves to purge toxic waste through the skin (the largest detox organ) so get out and do some challenging exercise. Remember that more is not always better…and too much will actually be a huge stress on the body and can suppress your immune system in the process (not good).
- Take Contrast (Hot/Cold) Showers – The last trick in the book. take a contrast shower (start off hot….then cold as you can handle for 30 sec, back to hot….then cold again….etc. Repeat 2-3 times and increase the coldness each time). In the winter time you can end with a hot shower, but the cold/hot cycles will help increase blood and lymph flow (the lymphatic system is a system vital to removing toxic wastes from all the cells and getting them out of the body). Just look at this 100+yr old who accredits his long life to cold showers.
So there you have it….some info to think long and hard about. If you still want a flu shot, that is your choice to do so. Or if you are worried about not enough flu vaccine to go around due to mass panic….then no worries…because this Canadian TV clip shows us how to make our own flu vaccine….and like he says “because staying healthy is alot more important than room temperature (using the mercury in thermometers)”. Enjoy making your own! (disclaimer: don’t ever try this).
photo by stinj
30 Reader Comments
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How does the old addage go? “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Also, far too many people overlook the fact that many flu shots have mercury in them! AH! I am gald you pointed that out. I will pass on the old flu shot. Never had one and will continue to not. I will probably get the same vaccine proof superflu that everyone else will get in the end.
The SoG
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SOG – Yup, good quote. I also like: “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas Jefferson.
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Yes, thank you! Finally someone who agrees with me. I can’t tell you how many people have chastised for not getting the miracle flu shot. I don’t want a flu shot nor will I ever get a stinkin’ flu shot for all the reasons you mentioned.
And you know what’s really weird…..I’ve never had the flu. Hmmm.
I must be one of the lucky ones.
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Do you have the same opinion on vaccinations in general? If so, you may want to reexamine your point of view.
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I totally agree- I have asthma (only since moving to New York) and my doctor tried to convince me to get a flu shot because of it. No thank you! I’d rather just keep on living a healthy lifestyle.
I had no idea what was in a flu shot though- so thank you for the heads up! Yeeeeuck!
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[...] theIFlife: Make Your Own Flu Shots… or Just Stay Healthy in the First Place. [...]
De-lurking to comment:
I have asthma, so long before it became free for the rest of Ontarians, I used to get the shot for free (asthmatics are at greater risk of respiratory complications from the flu – I used to get bronchitis 2-3 times per year). I got the shot several times when I was a kid and a teen, on the urging of my parents. Now that I make my own medical decisions, I get the shot every 2-3 years, and the other years I decide not to. I think you may have finally given me enough arguments against it that I won’t bother next year.
In the last year, I have changed my diet away from processed foods, improved my fitness substantially, plus about 3 or 4 years ago, I took myself off of my steroid asthma inhaler (I had my symptoms under control by then). I am healthier than I’ve ever been before, I’d like to think that I’m now at a point where I don’t fall in the risk categories anymore. Plus, when I got the shot last month, I was sick and sore head-to-toe for 24 hours afterwards. Yuck.
Anyway, that was a long comment to say, simply, that I wouldn’t entirely discount it for people in higher-risk groups, but I think you’ve convinced me that I don’t want to get the flu shot ever again. Thanks!
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was wondering why the heck I actually STOPPED getting sick when I STOPPED getting flu-shots. I eat sardines year round, and take Cod liver oil as a supplement (VITD) for O-3′s. I didn’t realize till I looked on the back, and each capsule contains 250mg of VitD (I think, have to 2x check) i take at least 2 per meal ,so……that would explain why I had about 5 hours of the sniffles, and my mom practically lost her voice. You’re right, prevention IS KEY. Keep ‘em coming Mike!
Regards,
Roelant
MTL, QC
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Angel – sounds like your immune system is in pretty good shape. Keep it up!
funkright – actually yes I do have the same opinion on vaccinations. I find it incredible how much we are pumping into newborns even just today than 10 years ago. Is there a correlation between loads of mercury and other toxins and the rise in autism? Dunno….but certainly like anything else, question everything….do your own homework…and make your own decision. Taking 100% control of our health should be top priority…not listening to people who are taking guesses at best at what may or may not be good for us.
Brynith – Sounds like bad quality air is taking it’s toll on you. I would highly suggest to eliminate ALL dairy from your diet (if there is any) for 3-4 weeks. You may see incredible improvements (as dairy is a huge bronchial inflammatory agent).
Melanie – Thanks for de-lurking and commenting. In the end it is your decision of course but I would like to think a healthy diet and lifestyle based on prevention should be enough for most all of us to survive a winter. I used to get bronchitis a ton long ago….and then got rid of all dairy (as I was a huge milk drinker into college). Now no more issues. (see comment to Brynith)
Roelant – I think we will all start to see more and more about the importance of Vit D in total health and immune function…and the best way is sunshine! (Of course that is not a big option in the winter time….so Sardines and CLO to the rescue).
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I feel good about my supper last night, which included a can of sardines! I broke my fast with the sardines.
I pretty much am okay with sardines at the worst of times, but let’s be real here — they’re far tastier after not eating for three quarters of a day!
On another post, Mike, you had taken the position that supplements are far less important than healthy food and I agree. I said I think there were a few supplements absolutely worth their money, with vitamin D being a prime example (probiotics, fish oil for those who don’t get a lot of EPA/DHA in their diet, and others like garlic).
It’s good to see I was on the right track with the first of those. I’m impressed by cancer statistics — the Canadian Cancer Agency has upped their recommendations of vitamin D and recommend supplements. It’s an interesting fact that Australia has higher skin cancer rates due to vastly greater Sun exposure, but has lower breast and bone cancers, etc., that are usually more lethal.
I — and the Canadian Cancer Agency — feel this is related to sun exposure and vitamin D.
As far as the flu shot goes, I completely agree. I think for most people it probably won’t hurt you that much — it is, after all, one of those minor stresses that you talk about, which can build the immune system. But as far as preventing the flu goes, it seems woefully inadequate.
Plus look at those additives! Mercury being the worst (perhaps).
For myself, I made the same decision as you years ago: no flu shots. My mom believes it’s vital to get those things and she catches the flu with some regularity. I haven’t had one in I have no idea when. Early 20s, maybe?
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It’s great to read info that I have believed for years. My mother used to force the flu shot on me, but I haven’t had one for years now and I never get sick.
I’m “high risk” being a type 2 diabetic with asthma who works with the public. My company provides the flu shot for free and tells us it’s “required” because we could expose the public. What a load of crap. The public is contaminating me. I live healthy and don’t get sick. Even my husband, still fighting a cold / sinus thing for the last two weeks wonders why my cold was a day of sore throat and sneezing, then gone.
My other secret weapon is my sauna. Love it, love it, love it. Cooties do not survive 180 degrees.
Thanks for a great website – and I agree – QUESTION EVERYTHING!!!
Cheers
beej
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I have to disagree. I don’t think those sardines look “yummy”. They look “fishy”. I prefer that my fish not look “fishy”, like a salmon steak for instance. That’s much more appealing to me.
Otherwise, I agree 100%. I’ve never had a flu shot and won’t get one this year either. I added Vitamin D to my supplements last year and didn’t have one sniffle. Coincidence? Possibly, but maybe not.
Prevention is THE most important step.
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Funny how eating a balanced diet consisting of whole foods can significantly reduce the risk of getting the flu, diseases galore, and obesity. If people want that so-called “magic pill”, it’s called eating health and staying active… and it’s proven to work.
Thanks for the article!
All the Best,
Andrew R
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Sorry, eating “healthy”
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Christoph – Yes some supplements are essential nowadays like fish oil and probiotics, those that help increase our natural health status. We would all like to get it 100% from our diets, but nowadays the reality is sometimes far from the ideal eating plan.
BJ – sauna is great stuff….sweating is one of the best ways to detox, as the skin sweats for a reason! Jump in between a sauna and cold shower back and forth and see if that doesn’t feel great as well!
Deborah – Yeah I don’t really eat my fish raw, but I guess for me I start watering at the mouth when I see something full of protein and fat….yes I know, I have issues. lol. There are sardines that come boneless and look just like fish meat….without the scales.
Andrew – So true…funny how eating right and prevention is the best course….but there is big money in pushing the “magic pill” and keeping people paranoid about getting sick from something….with all that fear of not getting sick/dying out there spread around….there’s no time left in the day to actually appreciate living! Sad really.
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Yeah, ’cause it’s hot.
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[...] So while we’re being bombarded with the message to get our flu shots, how can we make sure we keep our immunity high without the need to get ourselves injected (with who knows what)? [...]
Crown Prince Natural Skinless and Boneless Sardines are the best if you don’t like the scales!
The SoG
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SoG, you’re probably right!
However, I love the fact I get lots of calcium in sardines and salmon with the bones. And it reminds me I’m eating formerly living, “breathing”, animals — yumm!
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[...] So while we’re being bombarded with the message to get our flu shots, how can we make sure we keep our immunity high without the need to get ourselves injected (with who knows what)? [...]
For some reason, I had a craving for an orange while reading this post.
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[...] So while we’re being bombarded with the message to get our flu shots, how can we make sure we keep our immunity high without the need to get ourselves injected (with who knows what)? [...]
Great post. I never made the connection but it makes complete sense that vitamin D levels drop during winter and thats why we get the flu!
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I wonder how much Vitamin D actually reduces the depression people get during those winter months of no light too!
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[...] Read the full article here. [...]
Dr Dan – the depression might be better treated with more exposure to light and melatonin. Interesting article on that: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060501113832.htm
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[...] Original post by Mike OD [...]
Excellent post, and one I’ll not only stumble up, but keep handy for the time when my employer demands I get a flu shot.
You see, I work in a nursing home, and unfortunately the people who make decisions in that industry are very uninformed. The place is plastered with CDC posters making wildly inaccurate claims about flu shots.
This year, I was told I’d have to sign a waiver saying I had been offered the shot and declined it. I said, “Fine”, but it never came up again.
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[...] for mass panic and blind faith in some magical formula to save us. Go here to see the original: Make Your Own Flu Shot…or Just Stay Healthy in the First Place … Share and [...]
As someone who works in immunology, I couldn’t agree more.
When these flu vaccines are designed, they are simply a shot in the dark – an educated guess about what strain will be most infectious for that particular season.
Most times they get it wrong. Through no fault of their own, I might add. It’s practically impossible to predict how and when these viruses will mutate.
The shots are practically useless and are only used to bring in a ton of money every year.
Too bad sick people are worth more to this country than the healthy ones.
Needless to say I’ve never had a flu shot.
In fact, I’ve not been sick (not even a tiny cold) for close to a decade now.
Boost immune system health and disease and germs don’t stand a chance. It really is that simple.
Melissa
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