Should I Get a Flu Shot?

by Nashville personal trainer Dan DeFigio

This has been one of the most common questions of the year.

It is my interpretation of the research that the following groups of people could benefit from flu vaccination:

1. Anyone who is at risk for severe complications or death if they get the flu.
   This includes the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, and those
   with chronic respiratory problems like emphysema or COPD.
2. Individuals who regularly come in contact with sick people, or who come into
   contact with people who can be at serious risk if they contract the flu (schoolteachers,
   healthcare workers, nursing home staff, etc.).

Other than that, my vote is no. Why?

1. There are too many potential side effects from the vaccinations (see below).
2. Research may not support the contention that the shot prevents the flu or mitigates the effects of the flu.
3. Many people who might not otherwise get sick this year get a low-grade version of the flu from the shot itself.
   Why make yourself sick on purpose?

How to Avoid Getting and Transmitting the Flu:

1. Wash your hands with regular soap and water several times per day, and
   always after using the restroom, touching a public doorknob, handling money,
   and working out. You ARE working out, aren’t you?…
2. Get enough sleep.
3. Avoid highly processed foods, especially those that are rich in sugar and deep-fried components.
   Eat mainly nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, legumes, and lean proteins.
4. Take your daily multi-vitamin supplement, your fish oil capsules, your probiotic mix, and your powdered green drink every day.
5. Learn the Sleeve Sneeze Protocol.

For more detailed information, feel free to read on:

In the fall of 2006 the prestigious British Medical Journal published a paper by respected vaccine researcher Dr. Tom Jefferson.
Entitled Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence, the paper supported the opinion that flu vaccine programs may be worthless.

Jefferson examined all the research previously published on the effects of inactivated vaccines (vaccines with dead viruses).
His conclusions were:

1. 1. In children under 2 years inactivated vaccines had the same field efficacy as placebo.
   2. In healthy people under 65 vaccination did not affect hospital stay, time off work,
      or death from influenza and its complications.

How about this quote taken directly from the flu vaccine FLULAVAL’s package insert for the 2009-2010 formula:

“FLULAVAL is an influenza virus vaccine indicated for active immunization of adults 18 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and type B contained in the vaccine. This indication is based on immune response elicited by FLULAVAL, and there have been no controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL.”

That’s right, NO controlled trials demonstrating any decrease in your risk of contracting the flu after vaccination!

What about the nasal spray immunization?

The nasal spray vaccine (FluMist™) contains a live virus.
According to the official FluMist Patient Information PDF, you should not receive FluMist if you:

• are younger than 5 years of age.
• are 50 years of age or older.
• have an allergy or history of allergic reaction to chicken eggs or egg products or any component of the vaccine. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing, or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or other parts of the body; skin rash, itching, or hives.
• are a child or adolescent who regularly takes aspirin, or products containing aspirin.
• have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
• have a known or suspected immune deficiency disease or condition such as combined immunodeficiency, agammaglobulinemia, HIV infection, thymic abnormalities, malignancy, leukemia, or lymphoma.
• are immunosuppressed or have altered or compromised immune status due to treatment with systemic corticosteroids, alkylating drugs, antimetabolites, radiation or other immunosuppressive therapies
• have a history of asthma or reactive airways disease
• have underlying medical conditions such as but not limited to chronic disorders of the lungs and heart; or have had regularly scheduled follow-up visits or have been hospitalized in the past year because of chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes), kidney dysfunction, or a hemoglobinopathy such as sickle cell disease.
• are pregnant.
• FluMist recipients should avoid being in close (for example, within the same household) contact with immunocompromised individuals for 3 weeks following vaccination. Stay away from your family for three weeks?

Some of the ingredient in the flu vaccine are:

• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
• Phenol, also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye)
• Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent
• Aluminum, which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and seizures and also cancer producing in laboratory mice (it is used as an additive to promote antibody response)
• Thimerosal (a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease.
  Some vaccines contain as much as 25 mcg of mercury per dose — more than 250 times
  the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.
• Neomycin and Streptomycin (used as antibiotics) have caused allergic reaction in some people.