Flu vaccine

 - yes or no

To Flu Vaccine or not to Flu Vaccine? That is the question...

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert on Flu Vaccine

Yes, it's that time of year again. The flu vaccine fear talk is ratcheting up, flu vaccine supplies will be abundant in some areas and meagre in others, and the medical authorities will top it all off with mixed signals and bewildering messages.

Not going to extremes

It's always something. Or that's the way it's been with the flu vaccine in recent years. There are either not enough vaccine to meet demand, or there's a surplus that goes unused. According to the department of health, the single best way to protect against the flu is to get the flu vaccine each year. However, you should bear in mind that this advice comes from a body that devote a considerable amount of its resources to the promotion of the flu vaccine. If all the available flu vaccine aren’t used then this is deemed a failure.

Meanwhile, we have evidence that contradicts the official line. In previous e-Alerts I've told you about research from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that compared flu-related mortality among older people to rates of immunization.

Their finding: During the past quarter century, immunization rates for the elderly have climbed substantially while the elderly flu-related mortality rate has stayed the same.

The NIAID team wrote: "We conclude that observational studies substantially overestimate vaccination benefit."

The flu vaccine is designed to prepare the immune system to fight specific virus strains. But you can prepare and strengthen your immune system without an injection by taking these steps:

*      Exercise regularly

*     Eat a balanced diet of nutritious, fresh, whole foods

*     Manage stress levels

*     Get the right amount of sleep

And you can further prepare with proven immune system enhancers, such as Echinacea, vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene; all of which have been shown to help fight colds and flu. Selenium is also an effective flu fighter, as is Zinc and N- acetylcysteine (NAC), an amino acid that stimulates your body to produce the powerful antioxidant enzyme glutathione.    

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