My thoughts on the flu vaccine

Everybody is buzzing about the flu vaccine! “Do I get the regular vaccine?” “Do I get the swine flu vaccine? What about for my kids?” I hear the questions many times throughout the day in my office. As a nurse, I have to tell my patients that the CDC is recommending the flu vaccines especially for higher-risk populations ie: children, pregnant women, health care workers, the elderly. But what do I really think about all this?

Let me take off my proverbial scrubs and stethoscope, and talk candidly with you, person to person.

I have never gotten a flu vaccine. I have gotten the flu several times in my life, and it is not pleasant, I am sure you will agree. But I’d much rather spare my immune system the aggravation and my nervous system the extra dose of mercury and apply what I know and teach to prevent viruses from invading my body. As many of you who subscribe to my newsletters have read, I believe in bolstering my immune system through restful sleep, daily exercise, a diet high in phytonutrients and proper supplementation. It may not work all the time, but then I have an arsenal of health habits that will likely minimize the attack if it should prevail. Hot baths, herbal anti-virals and such really do reduce symptoms and down time (not to forget a hot bowl of garlic-infused, organic chicken vegetable soup!) 

When women ask me about the swine flu vaccine, I cannot say that the CDC recommends it without stating that I have my reservations about it. It has been pushed through too fast, the adjuvants used are not proven safe (in fact if you read through the Mercola site or Mike Adam’s site, you will see that they are downright harmful!) and I think it is likely to be an unecessary vaccination. I, along with several other profesionals, do not think this will be the pandemic the pharmaceutical companies are banking on. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD of Flemington, NJ, states that he cannot recommend a vaccine that has not proven to be safe or effective. I agree.

So please give thought to whether or not you should get the flu vaccines for you and your family. For many people it is a yearly thing, and they have not suffered from having gotten it. I would just hate to be the one who contracts Guillain Barre syndrome or some other condition due to the known possible adverse reactions of the flu vaccines. I think the flu itself is much more manageable.

Be well.

Diane