Flu Vaccine- Pros and Cons
It’s that time of year when we are bombarded with commercials and such to get vaccinated for the flu. Is it really for everyone? I tend to disagree. Of course, there are many of us who “might” (this is controversial) benefit from the vaccine- the elderly who are not in good health, those with a compromised immune system or an illness that has weakened the immune system. But those of us who are healthy with a strong immune system makes me wonder if it is really necessary. Many of us with a good immune system should be able to resist the illness or at least get over it quickly. Now I know many people would say, “But I don’t want to get the flu at all!” And that’s a choice you will have to make. The potential side effects of the vaccine are more scary to me than the actual illness. The ingredients of the vaccine are even scarier. The CDC list the ingredients of the Fluzone:Standard High Dose and Intradermal as follows: formaldehyde, octyl phenol ethoxylate (TritonX-100), gelatin (standard trivalent formulation only), thirmerosal (multi-dose vial only), egg protein, phosphate buffers, sucrose. Formaldehyde is embalming fluid, it is also carcinogenic. Why would I want to inject this into my body? I wonder, could this be one of the reasons there is such a high incidence of cancers in our families? Thirmerosal is 50% mercury. Mercury is highly toxic, (we no longer use the old mercury-filled thermometers in case of breakage, right?) Yes, they say it is only a trace amount, but this substance never leaves your body, it is not eliminated. Now think about how that trace amount can build up in your body after years of getting vaccinated from childhood on up. Egg protein- whose eggs? I believe they are using chicken embryos. Phosphate- hmmm, isn’t this what was taken out of our detergents because it was polluting our lakes and streams? There are many resources on the web to check out regarding these chemicals that we are injecting into our bodies. Here is an interesting short you-tube video on the ingredients you may want to review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JXEi6LJSAE And if you really have the time, there is great video presentation that is over an hour long by Mary Tocco who is an advocate for our children. She goes in depth about childhood vaccines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDYb1iDG4nQ
So what can we do? We need to build up our immune system to be able to handle whatever comes at it. Eat highly nutrient-dense foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, good protein sources, (since I am not a vegetarian, I do eat organic lean meats and poultry), whole grains for those who are not gluten sensitive. There are many supplements in the market; just be sure they are good quality. I take 1000mg of Vitamin C daily and when I am sick, I will double or triple that dose. A daily Vitamin D3 cap is very important for the immune system. I generally will take about 5000IU daily. I use several sources for my vitamins and herbs. I particularly like take Colloidal/Ionic Silver– this is highly effective at boosting the immune system to fight infections. The first sign of illness I will start taking 1 tsp 3 times daily until the infection subsides, usually it will subside in about 2 days or so, depending on the illness. I used it once in my eye when I had “pink eye”; I put a drop in the eye a couple times a day, the infection was gone in 2 days. These are wonderful sites full of herbal capsules, extracts, tinctures, essential oils, syrups and more. A few recommendations for boosting the immune system are Echinacea and Turmeric. Echinacea is said to combat viral infections, turmeric is a good antioxidant and is said to be anti-inflammatory. Garlic is said to be anti-microbial. A good syrup to take when ill is Elderberry, has a nice flavor and most children will like it.
As you can see, there are many options available to build up the immune system so that your healthy body can resists the ravages of infection by influenza virus, cold virus and even some bacterial infections respond also. Remember that if you are new to herbs, vitamins or other supplements, you will need to give it time to build up in your system before it will be fully effective; depending on the supplements you use. Those of us who have been taking these for awhile will see quicker results.
Always consult with your personal Healthcare Provider when considering any supplementations. You may find that your average physician may have no knowledge of natural alternatives to medications but it does not mean that medications are safer than natural alternatives. It just means he/she has only kept up with studies related to traditional pharmaceuticals and not the many studies out there that are done on natural alternatives.
**A table listing vaccine excipients and media by excipient can be found in:
Grabenstein JD, Immunofacts: Vaccines and Immunologic Drugs-2013 (38th revision). St Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Health, 2012.
One Comment
Anonymous
As an ex RN myself I will always avoid having the flu jab. I saw it finish off elderly patients every year. And some of those who had the flu shot became so ill they had to be hospitalised. I advocate taking Vit C with zinc.