Flu Shot Mania: Is It All It's Cracked Up To Be?: The Real Truth Behind the Flu Vaccine
As soon as the cool weather is heading this way, doctor's offices and walk-in clinics are pushing their patients to get the flu shot. Patients are led to believe that getting the flu shot is critical for their health and well-being. They are told that getting the flu shot will prevent them from getting the flu.
If you've been lead to believe that these statements are fact, then you should definitely keep reading. I'm not basing my information on my testing or my experience (although my experience agrees with the findings of the studies), but on scientific evidence that disputes the invalid "data" that leads doctors to back this vaccine.
Lack of Evidence for the Flu Vaccine
When it comes to assessing the effectiveness of medical interventions, the Cochrane Database Review is considered to be the best. They have published five reviews between 2006 and 2010 on the flu vaccine and each review has determined that the flu vaccine is not the best way to prevent a person (no matter the age) from getting the flu. Below are links to the five reviews and a brief statement from those reviews.
- 2006- a large-scale review of 51 studies found that the flu vaccine is not more effective than a placebo (a placebo is a fake but the patient does not know it is fake) in children under two.
- 2008- Another review found that there is little evidence that the flu vaccine is effective for children under the age of two.
- 2010- The review noted that 15 of 36 studies were funded by the industry. The review also found that "reliable evidence on the influenza vaccine is thin but there is widespread manipulation of conclusions..."
- 2010- Cochrane also reviewed the data pertaining to the protection of the elderly. It was concluded that: "The available evidence is of poor quality and provides no guidance regarding the safety, efficacy or effectiveness of influenza vaccines for people aged 65 years or older."
- 2010- The review found: "There is no evidence that vaccinating health care workers prevents influenza in elderly patients in long-term care facilities."
Why Is the Flu Vaccine Pushed?
So, if the data does not support evidence of the flu vaccine helping to prevent the flu, then why is it so heavily pushed every year? The only motivating factor that I can see behind the flu shot is that big green thing that motivates so many people and companies: money.
The pharmaceutical companies make the vaccine and make lots of money from it. But, they only make money if they sell what they've made. So, the doctors have to sell it and get money from administering it. So, everyone wins, right?
Not quite. What about the patients? Isn't the whole medical industry in existence in order to keep people healthy? Isn't that what the Hippocratic Oath says that doctors take? Now, maybe doctors just haven't seen the right data. Maybe they've just been blinded by the data that is marketed by those individuals or companies that are clearly profiting from this vaccine.
A Word of Caution
Since the flu vaccine has not been scientifically proven to prevent the flu, there are some things to consider before getting this vaccine. Pregnant women, young children or babies, and anyone with a compromised immune system should do their research and really ponder the facts before getting the flu vaccine.
Research has shown that pregnant women should minimize anything that will cause an inflammatory response as it can cause autism during childhood and schizophrenia during the teen years or later on. According to Dr. Blaylock, in the field of neuroscience, it is a fact that when an immune response happens during pregnancy, the risk of the offspring developing autism or schizophrenia increases 7-fold to 14-fold. With odds like these, there would be no good reason for a pregnant woman to take a flu vaccine that is not proven to be effective in preventing the flu.
Guillane-Barre syndrome (GBS) is another potential complication of getting vaccines. GBS is a condition where the person experiences either partial or total body paralysis. It is not a risk that you would want to take for a vaccine that is not effective.
Conclusion
I can only postulate as to the reasons that this pseudo vaccine is marketed despite the overwhelming evidence that shows it is not effective in preventing the flu. I tend to be optimistic and like to find the good in things. I can't say that I see too much good behind this vaccine.
In fact, I would say that the flu shot gives vaccines a bad rap. Many vaccines serve such an important role in our society. They have prevented deaths and the spread of terrible diseases that used to kill many people.
The flu shot should be thought of as more of a lottery vaccine. Maybe just maybe that vaccine will be the winning ticket and help you to get a mild case of the flu or maybe even life will be just the same as it was before. Either way, this shot definitely does not deserve the publicity and backing that it gets from the news and medical community. Maybe it will eventually be discovered for what it really is.
In the meantime, how should you stay healthy and flu-free? The best way to prevent the flu is to wash your hands. Good old fashioned soap and water is definitely your best bet in preventing the spread of germs. For some other great health-boosting ideas, you should read the article called How to Prevent Yourself from Getting Sick.
Wishing a flu-free season to all my readers ~ fitmom
- How to Prevent Yourself From Getting Sick
You know that first sign that you're getting sick. For me, it's that scratchy sore throat that cannot be quenched with water. It's at that point that I pull out my arsenal of immunity boosting tools to fight off the germs and keep myself from getting
