Every year as fall rolls around, you are suddenly bombarded with pressures and overwhelming reminders to, “Get your flu shot here!” But what is the flu shot exactly? And why does Big Pharma and your local pharmacy push it so much? More importantly, is it necessary, or even beneficial to you and your family?
Spoiler Alert: The Cochrane Collaboration says, “NO!” (1)
What Is the Flu Shot?
The Influenza Vaccine is a seasonally changing vaccine containing the CDC’s best GUESS of which of many possible strains of the virus will be responsible for this year’s flu season. The vaccine is created before the cold and flu season starts, even though the CDC confirms that:
“It’s not possible to predict with certainty which flu viruses will predominate during a given season.” (2)
This means that the vaccine is based on a guess — a gamble — in the hope of matching this year’s flu strains. Most years, the guess is wrong. The benefits of the flu vaccine have been overblown and hyped way beyond the science. (3)
For a list of the 2016-2017 influenza vaccine ingredients, risks and contra-indications click here. Note that the multi-dose vaccine has 24.5mcg mercury per dose as a preservative. That’s a lot of mercury!
Then why the push?
The pharmaceutical industry, on a global scale, rakes in over $300 billion each year with that number only expected to rise. (4)
Unfortunately, this industry is not focused on the health and wellness of individuals but instead is focused on increasing profits through the large-scale push and sale of pharmaceuticals. Because it is a financially driven industry, it is important to always DO YOUR RESEARCH!
Think about where and who your information is coming from. What is their goal — promoting your health and vitality or their bottom line? Luckily, there are great and reputable resources out there to help you make the most educated decisions regarding your health and the health of your family. One of our favorites is the Cochrane Collaboration. To summarize their findings in multiple studies on the influenza vaccine, Cochrane Researchers found:
“The vaccine shows no appreciable effect on working days lost or hospitalization…in the general population, including pregnant women.” (5) Cochrane found similar results in studies focusing on adults, children, the elderly, and healthcare workers. The bottom line is, DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE. The flu shot is NOT effective in reducing infection or sick days. The vaccine contains ingredients that are toxic to your brain and body while promising no payoff to your overall health.
Our Recommendations for a Healthy Season
There are a number of preventative steps everyone can take to keep spirits high and your good health intact this cold and flu season. Great nutrition and enough sleep are your best allies in preventing winter illness.
Keeping warm, hydrated, stress-free, and well-rested are always a must; especially through cold & flu season when your immune system is really pushed to its limits fighting off viruses and bacteria. Keeping away from sugar is also a must. Even a small amount weakens your immune cells for 4-6 hours, leaving them slower to attack and destroy invading viral and bacterial microbes. Give your body the nutrition and sleep it needs to keep you safe from these harmful invaders. Nutrition means lots of green, preferably organic — and ideally raw – vegetables and fruits at every meal! Plant food-based antioxidants, adequate Vitamin A and D, and minerals like zinc and colloidal silver are also key in staying in tip-top shape and supporting your immune system during the winter months.
In a large, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of over 500 nurses at one of the largest hospitals in Europe during flu season, an encapsulated powdered produce product was found to significantly reduce sick days from flu in the nursing staff — something the flu shot is unable to show. (6).
To your health and vitality!
Tamara Sachs, MD
