Have you noticed the public messages by the Center for Disease Control and pharmacy retailers to “get your flu shot” every year?  Is the flu shot worth the risk and how much protection does it offer? 

Here are some facts to help you decide:

About 3 out of every 100 people get the flu every year.  Therefore, your chances of getting the flu is only 3 percent.

The flu shot prevents the flu in about 1.5 people for every 100 people who get the shot.  In other words, the shot has no benefit in 98.5 percent of people who receive the shot!

Flu shots do not protect against the common cold, which is the more common illness people contract.

People who receive flu shots have twice the risk of getting the H1N1 “swine flu” compared to those who don’t receive a flu shot.

Children who get the flu vaccine may actually weaken their immune system and increase their chances of getting sick from other flu viruses.

Children who DO NOT get flu shots have stronger immunity by naturally building up more antibodies across a wider variety of flu virus strains compared to children who get flu shots.

Children who get the flu vaccine have three times the risk of hospitalization compared to unvaccinated children as well as a significantly higher risk for hospitalization due to asthma attacks from the vaccine.

The swine flu vaccine can cause a 17-fold increase in narcolepsy (suddenly falling asleep at inappropriate times) among flu-vaccinated children.

People 55 years of age or older who receive the flu shot each year for five years in a row increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by a whopping 1,000 percent!

What You Can Do That is Far More Effective Than Flu Shots

Take Vitamin D.  Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplements are 8 times more effective than flu shots!  Take 1,000-5,000IU/day (children), 5,000IU/day (teenagers), 5,000-10,000IU/day (adults).  Have blood levels tested to achieve 50-80ng.

Eat Less Sugar, Grain and Processed Foods and Eat More Fruits and Vegetables.  Sugar, grains and processed foods cause systemic inflammation and impair immune response making it much easier to get the cold and flu.

Drink Green Tea Instead of Soda.  The polyphenols in green tea are antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral.  They have been shown to block viruses from spreading to other cells.

Get Your Chiropractic Adjustments!  Several studies have shown spinal adjustments stimulate the immune system into action to fight foreign viruses and bacteria.

Get Regular, Good Quality Sleep.  Try to get 6-8 hours a night and go to bed and get up at the same time every day. 

Exercise on a Consistent Basis.  Exercise helps boost your immune system and circulation of immune cells.

Reduce Stress and Have Effective Tools to Manage Stress. When stress builds up it wears on your immune system making you more susceptible. Make an effort to find solutions when stress builds up before it breaks you down.

Be Aware of Sick People Around You and Wash Your Hands.When you are around coughing sick people, avoid breathing in their germs. Also, wash your hands to reduce the chance of spreading viruses to your nose and mouth. Avoid anti-bacterial soaps as they are no more effective than regular soap and they contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Sources:

1. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 12, Issue 1, Pages 36 – 44, January 2012.
2. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/18/flu-shot-increases-flu-illness.aspx?e_cid=20120918_DNL_art_1
3. https://www.naturalnews.com/037504_flu_shots_hospitalization_government.html#ixzz28zyqKfc6
4. Brennan PC, et al. Enhanced phagocytic cell respiratory burst induced by spinal manipulation: potential role of substance P. JMPT, 1991;14:399-408.
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6. Selano JL. The effects of specific upper cervical adjustments on the CD4 counts of HIV positive patients. Chiro Res J, 1994;3:32-9.
7. Teodorczyk-Injeyan JA, Injeyan HS, McGregor M, et al. Enhancement of in vitro interleukin-2 production in normal subjects following a single spinal manipulative treatment. Chiropr Osteopat, 2008;16:5.
8. Teodorczyk-Injeyan JA, et al. Interleukin-2 regulated in vitro antibody production following a single spinal manipulative treatment in normal subjects. Chiropr Osteopat, 2010;18:26.
9. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 10, 2010.