Flu Vaccination versus Building Your Immunity Naturally
*sourced from an older newsletter
We are approaching the dreaded "Flu Season" again, and manufacturers are gearing up to collect more record profits. Their usual dis-information campaigns are in full swing.
A recent headline on the American College of Physicians Online website states that "Influenza is the sixth leading cause of death for older Americans and infects 5% to 10% of elderly Americans every year. The flu leads to 300,000 hospitalizations and kills 30,000 to 40,000 Americans every year." [ 1 ]
This is an outright lie. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) compile yearly death rates, and categorize those deaths by cause. For the year 2002, the ACTUAL number of deaths attributed to influenza was only 753 [ 2 ]
The author of the APC review may have mistakenly reported the number of deaths associated with pneumonia for that year. That's a typical rationalization, stating that those who get flu may then succumb to pneumonia. That does not justify the claim that all pneumonia-related deaths were caused by the flu!
Many of these deaths occur in people with pre-existing conditions AND weakened immune systems among the elderly. In 2001, when only 257 people died from the flu, 59% nine percent of these deaths occurred in people 75 years or older. To put these numbers in perspective, 3,454 Americans died from malnutrition in 2001 — 13 times more than the number of reported flu deaths! It's a shame we aren't immunizing the poor for malnutrition. [ 3 ]
Even more significant, a study out last year from Lone Simonsen, Ph.D., and his team at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease concluded that the shots had no impact on the death rate from flu complications in people over 65 from 1980, when 20 million people got shots, to recent years when around 80 million did. So flu shots appear to be failing to achieve their major objective of lowering the death rate. [ 4 ]
The average person has the flu (fever, chills, runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and decreased appetite) for about 3 days. Certain "high risk" groups may have complications, such as pneumonia. However, these "high risk" groups are at risk because they suffer from immune deficiency and nutritional compromise. Have you looked at the food they serve in Nursing Homes lately?
Lastly, the adverse events associated with flu vaccines are usually worse than the flu itself. And now, under the guise of Homeland Security, the Bush Administration has made it almost impossible to file lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers for injuries sustained by those who receive the vaccine.
There is a term that describes an illness or injury you receive from medical care…it is called an iatrogenic (or adverse) event. You may want to explore the risks associated with relying on the "silver bullet" of medical care [ 5 ] [ 6 ] It makes a lot more sense to build health than to fight disease.
There is significant research now available, demonstrating improved immunity in older individuals who start simple supplement programs. [ 7 ]
Take charge of your health!
REFERENCES:
[ 1 ]Should Vaccinations be Required for Health Care Workers?
[ 2 ] ActualFlu Death Statistics compiled by the CDC
2002:753 deaths from Flu p.16
2001:267 deaths from Flu p.16
2000:2,175 deaths from Flu p.15
1999:1,685 deaths from Flu p.28
[ 3 ]Annual Flu Deaths: The Big Lie ( Think Twice ~ Global Vaccine Institute )
[ 4 ]From a Report on Vaccines by MNNBC News
[ 5 ]The Iatrogenic Injury Page
[ 6 ]Death by Medicine
[ 7 ]The Nutrition and Immunity Page
It's nice to know that there are plenty of referenced commentary that do not agree with this "get the flu shot" mainstream thinking. It helps to get a different perspective, don't you think? It's also wonderful to know that given a few good tools, like quality nutritional supplements to fill in the gaps missing from your every day american diet, your body with its infinite wisdom can build health.
The decision of which nutrients to take and why is my area of expertise. Build your immunity today.
flu shots available at Target? does that make sense to you? Flickr image credit
