I know several people who have had the genuine flu this year. I’m not taking about sniffles and coughing, I mean serious illness, complete with fever, inflamed throat, body aches and deep bronchial congestion.
Some complained that they had taken flu shots and still got sick.
As you might imagine, I am not a fan of flu shots for a variety of reasons. The primary reason is that they are only moderately effective, if they provide any protection at all. There are numerous harmful effects — on rare occasions deadly ones — that have led me to believe that flu shots are unnecessary for all but the most immune compromised among us.
Here are some things to think about before you take a flu shot or give one to your child:
It’s guess work. The World Health Organization in collaboration with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. begin formulating the flu vaccine almost a year in advance, based on epidemiologists’ best guess about the strain or strains of flu that will be prevalent in a year in the future. It’s at best, a crap shoot.
Indeed, the CDC now admits its crystal ball failed and this year’s flu vaccine is not as effective as hoped because the virus has mutated. In an advisory sent in December, the CDC said that 52% of the flu virus samples collected in October and November were different from the strains in this year’s vaccine.
This year’s strain turns out to be the particularly virulent H3N2 virus. Only about half of the documented cases of flu match the strains included in this year’s vaccine.
The CDC admits that in years like this one, when the vaccine doesn’t match the prevalent virus, “it’s possible that no benefits may be observed.”
Vaccine can be harmful, even deadly
Brain inflammation and death are potential side effects of every vaccine, but many medical practitioners do not recognize what brain inflammation looks like, writes Kelly Brogan, M.D. in an article published by the International Medical Council on Vaccination.
Brain inflammation, Dr. Brogan says, can manifest as ADHD, autism, learning delay and autoimmune disorders that can take years to manifest.
An extreme case of brain inflammation — vaccine-induced encephalitis – is rare and terribly tragic. Dr. Brogan, who is on the faculty at the New York University School of Medicine, cites the case of a healthy 19-year old man who died of vaccine-induced encephalitis a month after a “routine” flu shot.
At least two studies show that people who are vaccinated are at greater risk of becoming ill with the flu.
There’s no scientific evidence that flu kills.
More than 150 infectious pathogens can cause flu-like symptoms, but they are not flu and they are not affected by flu vaccines. CBS News conducted an extensive investigation in 2012. After the CDC refused the network’s Freedom of Information request, CBS obtained revealing statistics from all 50 states that negate the CDC’s public relations blitz in favor of flu vaccine.
For example, California reported 13,000 flu-like cases, but 86% tested negative for any flu strain. Florida reported 8,853 cases, but on testing 83% of those cases were negative for flu virus. In Georgia and Alaska, only 2.4% and 1% respectively tested positive for flu virus. This strongly points to skewed (perhaps deliberately skewed) figures being promulgated by the CDC.
The figures publicly released by the tight-fisted CDC support the rarity of true flu. In 2001, the CDC reported 62,034 deaths from influenza and pneumonia. But breaking down those figures, we find that 61,777 died from pneumonia (not as a secondary infection and patients were never tested for primary flu virus) and only 257 from flu, according to Harvard’s Peter Doshi. Of those 257, only 18 cases were positively identified as flu, leading Doshi to question, “Are U.S. flu death figures more PR than science?” Good question!
The argument for natural immunity.
I know many people who brag that they never get a cold, flu, tummy upset or any other kind of illness. First, I doubt that is true. Second, I’ll throw out the unconventional idea that it’s good to get sick once in a while and challenge your immune system, keeping it strong against those constantly mutating viruses and bacteria.
Now if you have cancer, asthma, COPD or HIV or any other immune challenging disease, I’ll leave it up to you to decide what is the best approach to the flu vaccine crap shoot.
For those of us who are healthy and strong, it’s a gamble I am more than willing to take.
I’m right there with you on the flu shot stance. I vote NO!
Too controversial with regard to effectiveness in my opinion. I have several friends who had the shot and still got the flu- BAD!
Also agree that we need to build immunity the old fashioned way sometimes – except as you say, for those with extreme immunity issues.
I had a mild case last year this time – mostly exhaustion- which I fought off with rest and natural resources- though I was exposed to someone who had an extreme case.
That’s my two cents!
I agree with you. have not had a flu vaccine in years! and don’ t miss it! I work in health care and this year they insisited we get a flu vaccine, to the point of penalizing. To wear a badge if you get it or a mask if you don’t. This is crazy! Makes me very suspecious.
I’m right there with you on the flu shot stance. I vote NO!
Too controversial with regard to effectiveness in my opinion. I have several friends who had the shot and still got the flu- BAD!
Also agree that we need to build immunity the old fashioned way sometimes – except as you say, for those with extreme immunity issues.
I had a mild case last year this time – mostly exhaustion- which I fought off with rest and natural resources- though I was exposed to someone who had an extreme case.
That’s my two cents!
I agree with you. have not had a flu vaccine in years! and don’ t miss it! I work in health care and this year they insisited we get a flu vaccine, to the point of penalizing. To wear a badge if you get it or a mask if you don’t. This is crazy! Makes me very suspecious.