7 Reasons to Not Get the Flu Shot
It’s that time of year again where you are bombarded by advertisements, school announcements about flu shot clinics, workplaces offering flu shots, and signs being displayed outside of every pharmacy. GET YOUR FLU SHOT seems to be the message no matter where you turn! Before you jump in line to follow suit, I ask that you take some time to do your own research about whether or not you should roll up your sleeve this Fall.
7 Reasons to Not Get the Flu Shot
The flu is not as deadly as the CDC would like you to believe. Don’t let the numbers the CDC uses every year to scare everyone into keeping the CDC and drug companies comfortable financially make you fall prey to their misconstrued claims. You will hear the CDC claim that 36,000 die from the flu annually. Their data is an old number that they use every year, and it also is an largely inflated number due to their use of data that includes people who die from any type of “flu-like” illness including pneumonia, heart problems, brain disease, and sepsis. It is also an “estimate” that they readily admit to on their website. Peter Doshi, PhD wrote a report in 2005 giving the results of his analysis of people who died from the flu which revealed the average to be 1348 yearly between 1979 and 2001 (range 257 to 3006).
The flu shot weakens the immune system making you more susceptible to getting sick including getting the flu. There are a large number of medical studies confirming this. It largely has to do with the ingredients in the flu shot that all damage the immune system rather than bolster it. Also, getting the flu shot two years in a row or more makes you significantly more susceptible to getting the flu! There are studies that have been done that show this. These studies can give you a glimpse into the data: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387051/ and https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/63/1/21/1745238.
The flu shot can spread the flu because of viral shedding or people getting the flu because they have weakened their immune system (https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-01-30-flu-vaccine-bombshell-630-more-aerosolized-flu-virus-particles-emitted-by-people-who-received-flu-shots-flu-vaccines-actually-spread-the-flu.html).
The flu shot is not really that effective. According to the US Government, the flu shot is only 50-60% effective at best, and that’s when the scientists are fairly close at guessing the mutation of the flu virus in a given year. The effectiveness is based on the incidence of contracting the flu or having milder symptoms. How many people get the flu on a yearly basis? How do you know your symptoms are milder than if you hadn’t been vaccinated? The rationale doesn’t hold up in my mind. The flu shot is not a guarantee to prevent you from getting the flu or making your symptoms milder. I have had several people I know personally all come down with the flu within 2-3 weeks of having the flu shot. This has happened in different years too! Also, there is data that shows that it is not effective in young children at all, and yet, it is recommended in children 6 months of age and older.
The flu shot has the potential to cause serious side effects including death. In a report from Vaccine Court in 2013, of the 70 vaccine cases that were compensated, 42 of them were from injuries or death as a result from the flu vaccine (http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/flu-vaccine-is-the-most-dangerous-vaccine-in-the-united-states-based-on-settled-cases-for-injuries/). The 2017 report showed 275 of 332 cases were flu vaccine injuries including 4 deaths (https://healthfreedomidaho.org/flu-shot-by-far-the-most-dangerous-vaccine-per-2017-vaccine-injury-report).
The traditional flu shot and the swine flu (H1N1) vaccine have been known to cause serious, harmful reactions including: * Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) * Severe allergic reaction * Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) * Brachial neuritis * Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) (https://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/influenza/vaccine-injury.aspx)
The flu shot gives you a toxic dose of mercury. The CDC claims that it contains a “trace amount” of mercury, but in fact, it contains 25 times the amount of what federal regulations defines as “trace” (https://www.ecowatch.com/should-i-get-the-flu-shot-2132041142.html). Mercury damages the nervous system and collects in the brain causing irreversible or difficult to reverse damage to the brain. Alzheimer’s Disease can be triggered by mercury in the brain (The Relationship of Toxic Effects of Mercury to Exacerbation of the Medical Condition Classified as Alzheimer's Disease by Boyd E. Haley, PhD.)!
The flu can very effectively be prevented through good hand hygiene. So can other contagious illnesses, for that matter! Use soap (not antibacterial - this makes you more susceptible to illness, particularly antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria -https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-reasons-why-you-should-probably-stop-using-antibacterial-soap-180948078/) and warm water and briskly rub hands together for at least 30 seconds making sure to get in between the fingers, under the nails, and around the wrists. Wash hands often and especially before eating. Keep hands out of the mouth, nose, and eyes.
There are great and effective natural ways to boost your immune system to help your body fight off the flu and other illnesses. Better yet, they don’t have harmful side effects!
Nutrition - 80% of your immune system is in your gut (http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/09/joseph-mercola/80-of-your-immune-system/)! A healthy gut means a strong immune system. Avoid processed foods which destroy the gut. Eat organically as much as possible. Avoid gluten and other foods that cause inflammation in the body. Drink Bone broth and a fermented drink like Kombucha daily. Eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, especially those with Vitamin C and Zinc to support the immune system. Consume garlic. Avoid foods and drinks with refined sugars. Sugar is known to significantly decrease the effectiveness of the immune system (https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/10-immune-system-busters-boosters#1). Drinking soda can weaken your immune system (https://therenegadepharmacist.com/diet-coke-exposed-happens-one-hour-drinking-diet-coke-coke-zero-similar-diet-soda/, https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/coca-cola-side-effects-on-body).
Supplement - Take a Vitamin D3 supplement (at least 4000 IU) and get out in the sun as much as possible (http://www.drlisawatson.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-vitamin-d#sthash.v6BNaYzZ.dpuf). Take your Vitamin D supplement with a healthy fat source (Avocado or nuts are a good start). Make sure you are taking a naturally and varied sourced probiotic. If you aren’t getting a high enough dose of Vitamin C or Zinc from your foods, supplement these from a natural sourced supplement. Take a dose of Elderberry syrup daily.
Use essential oils - Essential Oils such as Melaleuca (Tea Tree), Oregano, Clove, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Pink Pepper, Lemon, and Frankincense are helpful for supporting the immune system helping your body to naturally fight illness. I can recommend a great immune blend of these oils that would be convenient to have on hand, if desired, that could be used daily to support your immune system.
Sleep - An adult needs an average of 7-8 hours of sleep each night to have a healthy body and immune system.
Stay active - regular physical exercise helps the body to function at its optimal performance.
Decrease Stress - Stress is a great way to cause all kinds of havoc in the body. Chronic high Cortisol levels destroy the immune system. Find ways to decrease stress and increase relaxation.
At the end of the day, whether or not to get a flu shot is a personal decision, but it needs to be an informed decision and not one that is based solely on the information fed to you by the FDA or CDC.
If you do decide to get a flu shot, the safest vaccine to get would be the single dose preservative-free injection, which does not have mercury in it. I found out that Target carries that kind if you need to find a place that has it.
At the end of the day, whether or not to get a flu shot is a personal decision, but it needs to be an informed decision and not one that is based solely on the information fed to you by the FDA or CDC.
