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Should I get the Flu Shot?

***Disclaimer – This post is strictly based upon my opinion and consultation of my own health provider, I recommend you make the best choice for you and your family based upon your own due diligence and research on this topic. ***


One of the goals I made in starting this blog back in April, was to uncover and unveil information that isn’t readily available for public consumption on true health, nutrition and wellbeing. I want this blog to help you break free from the “conventional” wisdom that the food industry, government agencies, pharmaceutical and medical community try to push because of greed or corruption that is ultimately harmful to you and your family. I want you to walk away questioning what you put in your body – food or medicine. I want you to learn from my mistakes and adopt the positive discoveries I’ve made. I want you to feel as good as I do. But most importantly I want to give you the information you need to make real informed decisions about your health.

This is why it is extremely important to understand the Flu Shot – I want you to think about what you are directly injecting into your bloodstream. Before you consider jumping off the ledge with other lemmings and taking this years Flu Shot – Here are the questions I think you should ask yourself…

What’s exactly in the Flu Shot? To sum it up – A bunch of toxic chemicals and additives that lead to several types of Cancers and Alzheimer disease over time.

Here’s a list of what could be lurking in that vial of vaccine:

  • Egg Products (including avian contaminant viruses)
  • Aluminum
  • Thimersol (Mercury)
  • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
  • Chick Embryo Cells
  • Latex
  • Formaldehyde
  • Gelatin
  • Polysorbate 80
  • Triton X100 (strong detergent)
  • Sucrose (table sugar)
  • Resin
  • Gentamycin

I won’t eat any of these ingredients or even put them on my body – however, the mainstream medical community, government agencies and pharmaceutical companies suggest that I directly inject these ingredients into my bloodstream? And I need do it every year until I die?  Are you freaking kidding me? Long term effects of the combination of these toxic additives are very alarming – a very famous immunologist & geneticist has completed studies and research that shows in that every five flu shots a person receives over a ten year period they increase their risk of Alzheimer Disease by ten times! This is because of the ingredients above – Aluminum and Mercury – they slowly destroy your brain cells one by one.

Does the Flu Shot really protect me against the Flu? No, the CDC even admits it doesn’t protect you because the virus mutates every year and they can’t predict which strains will hit. Even when they do get the strain right, they can’t prove it actually works. Just do a google search for the effectiveness of the flu shot and just see how many studies prove it is ultimately unreliable and ineffective. In a couple of studies I read, The flu shot was compared to a placebo – The same number of people caught the flu regardless if they took the shot or not!

Why do I have to get a Flu Shot every year?  Aren’t vaccines suppose to immunize you for life? They have to continuously give you a flu shot, because it is not a real vaccine. Let’s say for instance, you get a vaccine for another virus like Hepatitis A or B – you are immunized for life. Why isn’t this the case with the flu vaccine? Because the scientists have not developed a real vaccine for the flu and are continuously guessing on how to come up with a new chemical formula that could be effective.

Research has shown that it takes close to a full year to develop an effective vaccine against a virus – however, in developing the flu shot – scientists spend less than 4 months producing it so they can get it out for production before flu season starts. They don’t have time to thoroughly test it or judge it’s reactions in the human body. They take a chance on the symptoms it causes and that it might work – are you willing to take this chance too?

What kind of strain are they going to use this year for the Flu Shot? It’s the same one as last year. Really? But then why do I need to get another shot if I got one last year? This is the way the pharmaceutical companies continue to make money off of you – The CDC says it “wears off.” And this brings me back to my previous point – if the flu vaccine were truly a vaccine – it wouldn’t wear off. Think about it – Once you get chicken pox as a child, your body develops antibodies to strengthen your immune system from ever getting chicken pox again. This is how vaccines are suppose to work. But the flu shot doesn’t work this way…There is something wrong with this picture…

Why is there so much pressure to get the Flu Shot year after year?  Why does every drug store have a sign up promoting the shot? Why are shots available at work? And at school? Why is their so much propaganda each year around this time? There is only one answer – Money. The making, distributing, and administering of the flu shot is a 7 Billion Dollar Industry. Each year the pharmaceutical industry eyes glow with $ signs when it’s time to make more as the American public become the guinea pigs again to try it out.

Why are Flu Shots recommended for children, women who are pregnant and the elderly?  Because that group of individuals typically have weaker immune systems and if they catch the flu and don’t treat it in time it can lead to other complications like pneumonia. However, why would you give a group with already weakened immune systems something that weakens their immune system systemically further?

The flu shot causes all sorts of side effects and symptoms like Muscle pain, respiratory tract infections, eye problems, abnormal blood pressure, asthma, hives, and gastrointestinal problems that could also lead to other complications.  This is why the vaccine isn’t effective in the first place, because administering a drug that weakens the immune systems makes people even more susceptible to the flu! This is another reason I believe why some studies I read proved that the flu shot was not effective in treating the elderly.

Why have some countries banned the Flu Shots in the past?  Because it caused all sorts of terrible and sometimes deadly reactions in their children and other citizens. Australia banned the flu shot for all children under 5 last year when 250 children were hospitalized and one died after receiving the vaccine. Finland and Sweden also banned the shots and opened up an investigation last year. Don’t you wonder why this didn’t make major news here in the United States?

Can I immunize myself naturally from the Flu?  Yes! You can build lifetime antibodies against the infection. Just Skip the vaccine, boost your vitamin D intake, and encounter the flu naturally. If you encounter the flu – rest, take care of yourself, understand that your body needs a break and focus on getting better – This type of immunizing yourself works amazingly better than relying on an artificial injection that has been proven ineffective. You’ll have these new antibodies for life that will ultimately protect you from similar strains of the virus better than any yearly shot could ever provide.

What ongoing things should I be doing and getting from my diet to keep my Immune System healthy and to prevent getting the Flu? Exercise daily, Take Probiotics, Get Vitamin A from beta carotene, Vitamin C, B6, B12, Garlic, Zinc and plenty of Vitamin D. Building up your immune system can help your body fight off the flu virus before you experience symptoms and lessen the time you take to recover from the flu.

Is Food Babe planning to take the Flu Shot? Given all the answers I have learned above – No, I’m not taking the Flu Shot. Ever.

Wishing you the best health life can offer and all the sunshine in my heart….

Love,

Food Babe

P.S.  If you know someone who would like to hear about this perspective, please share this post with them.

P.S.S. I am not “anti-vaccination”, I choose not to take the flu shot for the ingredients they contain as stated above.

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630 responses to “Should I get the Flu Shot?

  1. Great stuff! I am even seeing stuff on TV about a shingles vaccine(per the add on TV) If you got the chicken pox as a child you are at risk to get shingles.

  2. The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as “Spanish Flu” or “La Grippe” the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster.

    I dont want to catch the flu from any of you, so please get vaccinated, and I will do the same.

    1. Doesn’t your state just overall prove that people are getting flu vaccine out of fear of a repeat of 1918? Like the common knowledge states, the flu changes every single year, and the vaccine people get for that year’s flu is hardly ever updated to the current flu. All this really proves, is that sure, if such a catastrophic flu ever comes around again, maybe half, if not less, the population that got the vaccine might survive. Which is great. But overall, it’s also saying that we get the vaccine out of fear, even if 1918 will never happen again. It’s also important to remember that a lot of medical technology and medicine we have today, didn’t exist in 1918. So, if this stuff had existed back then, the flu epidemic of 1918 might not have been nearly as catastrophic after all. It could’ve been just like it is every year now.

  3. My employer is a hospital that requires all of its employees to take the flu shot as a condition of employment. They offer the preservative free version of the flu shot. I need my job therefore I will take this flu shot but I would prefer not to of course. Is there anything you can recommend to offset the effects of these toxins?

  4. My daughter used to get flu shots ever year until five years ago she had a severe side effect. She wasn’t able to hold her weight on her legs and simply fell onto the floor without warning. She spend three days at the hospital and they ruled out every possible and impossible sickness that could have caused it. In the end a doctor from a different hospital, specialized on virology, said that it was a ‘known’ side effect for the flu shot that year…
    That was the last time she received a shot!!

  5. Why are y’all so worried about dying? The flu and other diseases were created by nature to create a balance. If I get the flu and die, I’m not going to raise my fist in the air, curse and say “that dang food babe killed me!”. The way I see it, it was my time to go. I believe nature has my cures and I don’t need a vaccine to make me sick, then go back to the pharm (and for the person wondering how the flu shot creates $7 bill a year, it from flu season 🙂 ) and by a bunch of meds that do nothing for me anyways. How many of you have actually sat down and read what every single ingredient really is in everything you are consuming or putting on your body??? That’s what I thought. When I was pregnant I was told not to have mercury but they want to put it in my vaccine??? You’re right, that makes a world of sense!! And half you men on here wouldn’t let your pregnant significant other have mercury would you?? But you’ll encourage her to have a flu shot? Sounds perfectly normal. Same with Aluminum, they don’t want us cooking with it, and aluminum foil even has a special “sealed side” for us to use when packaging our food, but we’re supposed to directly inject it after the FDA said that it’s bad. The government needs to make up their minds. It’s only safe for us when THEY tell us it is. I DO NOT trust our government, and it’s sad to see how many of you who believe you think for yourselves are really speaking for them. They have you exactly where they want you. Putting chemicals into your body is not what your body needs. If we were meant to have synthetic ingredients don’t you think they would be spouting from the ground?? No that’s just the GMO’d corn you’ll be eating for Thanksgiving. Stop being so stubborn people!

    1. This comment is awesome. Vani would wholeheartedly agree with you. More people should view life like you:)

      1. Wow. It is a great comment. I can’t tell if they believe what they are saying or not!

  6. All I want to say is with the bad attitudes of the folks routing for the vaccine is that who wants to put any faith in what you are saying! A loving compassionate open heart will keep you healthier than any vaccine can provide!

  7. Alzheimers is linked to a lack of folic acid. thus people who consume large amounts of alcohol are prone to alzheimers. The flu shot has never been linked to Alzheimers and I find your article totally misleading and a perfect example of “a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous”. You have some good points in your articles (although I totally disagree with the flu shot article) but there are no big studies that show the flu shot is linked to any kind of increased risk of alzheimers. Once must be cautious of small studies that have hidden agenda. If you don’t want to protect yourself from the flu, that is your right (as long as you don’t work as a health care provider) but please don’t tell people they will increase their risk for alzheimers from a flu shot. False, false, false. If that was truly the case, don’t think you think physician would have a problem having this shot each year?

    1. I can’t believe how many ignorant people are on here who go get death vaccines. Yes, food babe is correct on this. did you know they purposely are using these to sterilize you an give you cancer. its called a culling of the people. . just keep listing to FDA they love you an have your death as their best interest. Oh, eat Monsanto lots of it. its good for you too. Fda an Monsanto are in bed together. Vaccines are the number one cause of autism in kids. check out Bill Gates who is a Eugenisist. look up slow culliing of americans, look up vacines an autism, look up labs.naturalnews.com in regards to vaccines. watch move with Jessie ventura on vacines on youtube. look up guide stones, new world order an population control.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Az0csNr5B0

  8. You nailed it! NOBODY should be getting that frickin’ shot. C’mon peeps…wake the f up!

  9. Hmmm… This would be more credible if you could actually explain the science behind it and not use the CDC as your only resource. Also, if the vaccine can’t protect you from it because there are always several different kinds of strains, what makes you think your body can create antibodies for the zillions of flu strains out there? If you get a specific strain one year and the next year you get another strain, you will still end up with the FLU. The best way to prevent the FLU is to not only boost your immune system, but wash your hands ALOT during flu/cold season. Personally, I stay away from the FLU shot, I rely on eating right, physical activity, oooh and drinking lots of water, and WASHING my hands:). Some people are more susceptible than others.

  10. I won’t take the flu shot. This article did not change my opinion one way or the other. I don’t trust the shots, never have. Never will.

  11. For those of you doubting her credentials and scientific backup, just read her disclaimer at the top. This article should tweak your curiosity at the very least. There is a ton of information out there. Make your choices based on your own due diligence and research. Period. In my own humble opinion, we have all been brainwashed by Big Pharma, the food industry, and the government. I have come to believe that they are all largely motivated by profit and self interests, at the cost of our health. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Annual flu shots are definitely off of my list, as well.

    1. Let’s think about “Big Pharma’s” drive for profits I keep hearing about. I got my flu shot at Walgreens this year, they did not accept my insurance, and I paid $25. So we know that pharmaceutical companies don’t make all of that money, since Walgreens needs to be paid, the shipping company, the packaging company, ect all make some money on the vaccine.
      Now lets look at the average cost of hospitalization in relation to the flu:
      “Unsurprisingly, medical costs were the highest for parents of hospitalized children and those treated in emergency rooms, with parents of children hospitalized with flu spending a whopping average of $3,990 in medical costs, while those with children treated in emergency rooms spent around $730….Parents of hospitalized children reported an average of 73 hours of work time lost, while parents of children who were seen in emergency departments and outpatient settings reported 19 and 7 work hours lost, respectively. Those hours away from work translated into lost dollars. Caregivers of hospitalized patients, emergency room patients and outpatients lost an average of $1,456, $383 and $222 respectively, mainly due to time spent away from work.” (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/childrens-flu-costly.htm)

      So wouldn’t it make sense that “Big Pharma” let us all get sick with the flu so that they could make more?

  12. Yet as a nurse for 18 years, I have given possibly thousands of flu shots. The majority of people want the vaccine for themselves and their children, especially if they have had or have seen someone with real influenza (not a common respiratory or GI bug commonly mistaken for flu). A few bothersome temporary side effects? Every once in a while, but usually none. Adverse effects? Have not seen any. Ever. Deaths of people who refused flu shots? Yes. In just the last few years, two young healthy fathers at the small pediatric office I have been at for five years, have died from the flu, leaving their wives and young children behind. We have seen hospitalization from the flu, but never from the vaccine. I appreciate this blog, I just humbly disagree with this advice. I know there is so much misinformation, it is easy to get freaked out by it. Talk to your doctor. Not trying to put anyone down, Food Babe writes some good stuff, she was diligent and prudent to include a disclaimer, and is stinkin’ cute, in a loving sisterly way. Keep writing!

    1. A neighbor with 5 children, had a severe reaction to the Flu vaccine. It attacked the epithelial tissue all over her body-inside and out. She became blind and lost all of her hair. Her oldest daughter had to come home from college to care for her and the family. She is permanently disfigured. I will never get the Flu vaccine. When I was growing up, it was expected that you would get the flu now and then. Why is it such a big deal now?

      1. “In the United States, each year on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications. Flu seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.” -CDC stats

        So 200,000 people hospitalized every year and you think that is fine and dandy? When you were growing up, it was expected that some people would get polio too, so lets not just base opinions on what used to make people sick.

      2. To Megan:

        You clearly do not understand the difference between data and anecdotal evidence. Even if that story was true and one person had an adverse effect, that does not out-weight the global benefit of vaccines.

      3. I personally choose to refrain from getting the flu shot again because I am one of those that would diligently get the flu shot every year, only to get sick with the flu within a month or two of receiving the shot. The last shot I had (which was four years ago), the nurse that administered it informed me that the vaccine I was receiving covered roughly 5 strains of the most common form of the flu, but that there are over 3,000 known strains of the flu. I thought to myself, then what’s the point? Since then, I have drastically altered my diet, no longer receive the flu shot and have not been sick since.

    2. As a retired RN, I have seen adverse reactions to the flu vaccine, in the hospital and in the case of a dear friend who at the age of 53 requires braces to walk and can no longer drive. I guess she was that 1-2 in a million (per the cdc) who end up with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Not everyone recovers fully after Guillain-Barré syndrome. I’ve also given numerous vaccines, one of my last patients, with COPD, told me they get the flu shot every year, and every year they get the flu.

      Have they changed the package inserts? They use to say the vaccines were NOT tested on pregnant women and that makes them guinea pigs for the drug companies.

      When my husband was active duty in the army, it was mandatory they get the yearly flu shot. About 2-3 weeks after getting the shot he would become sick with the flu for about 2 solid weeks, this occurred each time he got the flu vaccine. After retiring, he never got another one and was not sick again.

      I’ve never had the flu vaccine and had the flu once in my life, in the late 60s. I have worked with some very sick people and not become ill.

      If you wish to inject those toxins in your body, that is your choice.

      1. I know of 3 recently hospitalized Guillain-Barré patients in a fairly small city, all contracted shortly after the flu shots. Living in cramped social situations is not natural or healthy and it seems that the system is treating us like factory farm animals, pumping us all full of antibiotics, trying to engineer a new pin cushion life form.

    3. Absolutely agree. Love the blog but, here, the Food Babe is wrong. Would love to have her look into this further and update this. It’s not just about individual choice, it’s about herd immunity too.

    4. Please re educate yourself re ALL vaccines. I too have been a nurse for over 36 yrs and have NEVER believed that they saved us from anything. If you want a real opener, I urge you to check out Dr. Suzanne Humphries who is well versed in the dangers of ALL vaccines, left a lucrative practice and began her research on the truth re all vaccines. Her book is full of truths. Also here’s another site that might interest you. http://www.thinktwice.com go to uncensorted vaccines and get a real opener with many physician’s view on vaccines. The person that died that you speak of most likely was not the cause of not getting a vaccine. They were most likely toxic from all the vaccines and mediations they were on. Helen Bruce

  13. Hi
    I’m trying to keep an open mind as I read your opinion column. What I fear is that despite your disclaimer, people reading this might think you have inside medical information. Some secret line as to the motivations of healthcare objectives. You do not site empirical studies. You mention something can be googled but everything can be googled. There’s no Internet regulation for truth and accuracy. While I applaud your passion for living the purest and least tampered form of life you can, be aware that this platform and your voice – one tainted within air of expertise – had responsibilities to be ethical. To be accurate. To think more critically and less critical. It sounds more like fear mongering at times than fact presenting. Be careful about that…it may hurt someone when your intention was to help but your training and knowledge and credentials …or lack thereof…does not afford you that voice.

    1. I think in the past we could trust that our government was providing safe vaccines. Unfortunately, the times have changed-and in case anyone hasn’t noticed; this government no longer has our best interest in mind. They have been bought out by big Pharma and other corporations-it’s called Fascism- it is real and it is happening. Look at your next tax return and you will see. It is up to us-the consumer to weigh the lesser of two evils to take a dangerous vaccine or to risk getting sick from not taking the vaccine. Look at the rise of ADHD and Autism. It is obvious to anyone with common sense that it parallels the increase in mandatory vaccines. Therefore, people like Foodbabe are simply letting us know that the danger or getting the vaccine may outweigh the danger of not getting it. It is sad and it is scary, but she is probably right. The government is not going to admit this-do they admit to anything these days? It is time to stop looking to big government to protect us-learn who your true enemies are. Just because someone has typical “credentials” doesn’t mean they are right. In fact I’m to the point I almost want to run away from anything FDA approved. The FDA approved FenPhen, anyone remember that fatal disaster? We should all applaud women like Foodbabe-she is trying to help us. Look at her, she looks great, all I know is I want to do what she is doing!!!!

      1. “Look at the rise of ADHD and Autism. It is obvious to anyone with common sense that it parallels the increase in mandatory vaccines.”

        Sorry but just because something appears to be related, does not mean that it is. Correlation does not imply causation – this has been shown countless times in scientific research. You cannot simply assume that because these ADHD/Autism and vaccines have been on the rise, that one must cause the other.

      2. Correlation does NOT imply causation. Did you ever think that there is a rise in ADHD and Autism because technology has improved which has made for better diagnoses. Anecdotal evidence isn’t exactly scientific. Also, you say just because someone has “typical credentials” doesn’t mean we should listen to them. That is ridiculous. So we should just listen to someone who is not educated in healthcare and take their word for it? Absurd. saying vaccines lead to things like Autism is so dangerous. First off, no evidence has shown that and a study that did was proven to be bogus and fake. Even if a vaccine did lead to Autism, you mean to tell me you would rather put your child at risk for these horrible diseases that were eradicated years ago than love a child with Autism? Personally, I’d rather have a child with Autism than have my child die from a terrible disease that had been eradicated.

  14. I agree that source material citations would be good and add to the credibility of the article. Unfortunately people are lazy and want everything served on a silver platter and will look for any reason to discredit something they dont agree with or dont want to change. This is human nature.

    I would like to add that even if copius documentation was provided its highly unlikely that most people would read it or if read would change their minds. Also most real studies are not publicly released and cost in some cases obscene amounts of money for nothing but a link to a protected online page. In my opinion the way scholarly, professionally researched and peer reviewed studies are conducted and dessiminated only contributes to the stratification of society into its already observable groups of the intelligencia and the ignorant.

    Vaccination is one of those emotionally charged issues that is almost impossible to have a rational discussion about. Everyone knows someone who either died or is crippled either by getting or not getting a shot. This kind of continuous subjective experience combined with the general intellectual malaise and difficulty in obtaining research without obvious funding bias built in means that finding the truth or even discussing the issue is bound to go nowhere. This is why articles like this are better viewed as a springboard for each individuals personal truth or fact finding mission rather than a neat little gift wrapped package of info that requires nothing more than reading it.

    1. You sir, have hit the nail on the head! Bloody well said, and all without putting anyone down. Thanks for such well considered words.

    2. It would only take a moment to Google the single study cited by those claiming Autism is linked to vaccines. You would see that the study was retracted by the medical journal in which it was published:

      Andrew Jeremy Wakefield (born c. 1957) is a British former surgeon and medical researcher, known for his fraudulent 1998 research paper in support of the now-discredited claim that there was a link between the administration of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the appearance of autism and bowel disease.[1][2][3][4][5]

      After the publication of the paper, other researchers were unable to reproduce Wakefield’s findings or confirm his hypothesis of an association between the MMR vaccine and autism,[6] or autism and gastrointestinal disease.[7] A 2004 investigation by Sunday Times reporter Brian Deer identified undisclosed financial conflicts of interest on Wakefield’s part,[8] and most of his co-authors then withdrew their support for the study’s interpretations. [9]

      That’s from Wikipedia and you can check the citations if you don’t agree with any of those facts.

      1. Wakefield’s paper was retracted from the Lancet. He also fudged with the statistics. It was a poor study at best and outright fraud at worst. Besides which the Wakefield paper cited a link between mercury and autism. Within that is a testable hypothesis. If pharma companies removed the mercury compound from the vaccine, then autism rates would lower, or slow down, or level off. They didn’t. So with the pet hypothesis destroyed by facts the fearful anti-vaccine groups decided well, if not mercury then it’s just the vaccine itself somehow, by no mechanism any study has ever published. This just a case where people cannot get past their fear and learn to assess risk vs. benefit. None of them would ever drive without a seatbelt, but seatbelts actually can kill you in a wreck. Ditto with airbags. The numbers are low but they exist. What the vaccine denialists are doing is screaming about the deaths from air bags and seat belts and removing their restraints and turning off their airbags because they can’t understand the difference in the statistics of death by airbag during a crash that wouldn’t have normally been fatal and death by car crash without airbag. Nor do they look at the equivalent of the # of lives saved by airbags and safety belts in cars. What she is also saying is that if it doesn’t work 100% of the time then it isn’t worth using. Okay, so you went from nearly certain to get the flu if exposed to a 70% chance of not getting it if exposed, but you’re not satisfied unless it’s a 100% chance, you’d rather have the flu. As for toxins, all toxins are dose based. I wonder if she has ever had botox… deadliest toxin known (or one of). Yet botox doesn’t kill you or make you sick. Why? Dosage. The chemicals in vaccines are in such small doses you could get a vaccine every day for the rest of your life and wouldn’t show any sign of toxicity from any of the ‘toxins’. They just look scary. What they do is prime the body for an immune response (it’s why you feel kinda sick after a vaccine, your immune system is ramping up), these are called adjuvants. They make the vaccine more effective and help your body to make more antibodies. Your body, heck, an APPLE, has more formaldehyde in it than a vaccine. This woman needs to remember that she is not an immunologist, and epidemiologist, or a medical doctor. The experts know what they’re doing most of the time. When was the last time you told your plumber how to do his job. What about your IT guy? Your cake maker? Ever criticized every move they make because you read an article on the internet? Reading a few articles doesn’t’ make you qualified to accurately comment on a subject you have zero expertise in. You can talk about it if you want, but you’re only spreading misinformation, Ms. Hari., based on a poor understanding of your subject. It’s like insisting your mechanic change the blinker fluid in your car because otherwise it’s dangerous and your blinkers won’t work. If you can admit you know very little, if anything about the inner workings of cars, what makes you think you understand the immune system of the human body (a system that makes a car look like a finished game of mousetrap) as well as the epidemiology of influenza AND understand the nuances of genetic shift and drift of influenza and how it relates to vaccine response ? To address another claim: you only need vaccines once. No you don’t. I don’t care if that disappoints you, it’s wrong. You must reup your tetanus shots every decade as well as pertussis (whooping cough; a disease that makes you cough so hard it can crack your ribs and tear your throat so you cough blood; thanks to you and McCarthy’s fear crusade there was a pertussis outbreak at Disneyland; those people’s suffering and lives are on people like you); the flu changes, yes, and yes you get ‘last year’s strain’ why? because you still gain partial immunity. It sucks, but it is better than getting influenza for sure. I already made the airbag argument. Saying 100% or nothing is childish. Your movement is anti-children and anti-health.

  15. http://www.redwineandapplesauce.com/2013/10/28/setting-the-record-straight-dubunking-all-the-flu-vaccine-myths/

    The above post is rather lengthy, but it addresses every possible section of interest related to flu vaccines, and every section contains multiple links to hard data and other resources. I find it telling how distinctly different the approaches are between these two women, with Food Babe engaged in honest inquiry and posting mostly about how she feels about the issue when informed by other bloggers, while Red Wine and Applesauce approaches the issue from a more research-study approach, regardless of how she feels about the data.

    It may be a lot of reading, but I suspect people are reading to be informed in the first place, and wouldn’t skip the meatiest information. Cheers!

    1. Thank you for linking this article…I found it very informative and the author cited her sources so that I could read even more information about the myths and make an educated decision instead of one based on an opinion.

  16. I haven’t had a flu shot since the 70’s when the Swine flu fiasco happened. I got the shot and clouldn’t get off the couch for three days, was in a delerious state of dizziness and halucinations. It was the sickest I have ever been in my entire life. People actually lost the use of their legs and became crippled for life from that vaccine. Flu shots are just a money grab from pharmaceutical corporations and our politicians and health care providers should quit dealing their drugs like bad Heroin.

      1. It is evidence enough for me! Polio vaccine saved millions, great vaccine but we live in a different world today and EVERY product that is offered to the public has to be subjected to a lot more scrutiny than in the past.

      2. Ron’s experience is 100% evidence that his body did not react well to the injected toxin. He would be foolish to try it again. Vaccine theory is that our highly evolved immune systems will benefit from lab developed pathogens and save us from a real disease. Is it not hubristic to assume we can improve Nature’s own finely tuned system? Even if one believes this, this would render us dependent upon and weakened by pharmaceutical toxoids.

        Vaccines are a one size fits all religion, complete with all the usual scandals of organized religions. Most doctors are given the only training that vaccines are “safe and effective” and know little more than this, which must be embarrassing to ever admit.

  17. This is a hot topic. It is a shame that many people don’t understand the concept of “Make your own informed choice” and think that the world must go along with the opinion of the masses. If you want to have the vaccine, go for it. Not for me, for personal anecdotal evidence of vaccines in my entire family. For example, everyone I know who got the vaccine in the past six years, also got the flu. None of my immediate family has ever had a flu shot and, oddly enough, never gotten the flu, even when exposed to the extended family members who had the flu shot and got the flu (usually about a week later). If it doesn’t work for any members of the family who had it, what is the point? You have to use your own brain and your own experience. Everyone is not the same, so the flu shot is not necessarily for everyone.

  18. It would be great if you could cite the studies and doctors you mention so we can look at their words and studies ourselves.

  19. I am agree with you THanks God for your awesome blog I am very glad exist people like you that do research about this interesting topics and share with people who really cares about the things that consume.

  20. I believe in vaccinations. I also believe that anything introduced into the body can have the potential to create a negative reaction. However, let me just give you my personal experiences as others have already cited some science already. Before I turned 25 I had never been vaccinated for the flu in my life. My mother didn’t believe in it. Every year I would catch the flu multiple times and miss days and weeks of school and work. When I turned 25 I decided to get the free vaccination my work was offering mainly because I had just gotten over a hellish episode of the flu where I was sick for 3 weeks and ended up in the ER a few times. I nearly lost my job for that. So in the interested of staying healthier and employed I got the first flu shot of my life. Since then I get one every year and I have not caught the flu once. It has been wonderful.

    Now let’s look at another vaccine, the Small Pox vaccination. It’s not something people get anymore, but because it was given to everyone it achieved it’s mission and there is no need for it any more. This is a success story. Although there have been side effects, in the long run we no longer have to deal with the disease at all. With the small pox vaccination my father had an extremely violent reaction to it and was in the ICU in a coma for a week, so I understand the risks. He is part of a minority that had a reaction.

    However we need to look at a the big picture. Life is filled with risks. Maybe eating the wrong food will give you cancer, maybe a vaccination will create a life altering reaction in your body, maybe you’ll trip and fall down the stairs breaking your neck, maybe that person who you just had sex with will give you an STD, maybe the plane you’re boarding will crash, maybe you’ll do the wrong thing, maybe maybe maybe. And unfortunately it all comes down to percentages, the question is are the risks greater than the benefit? And when it comes to vaccinations the benefits far outweigh the risks. Yes, some people might get sick, and some might not, however diseases such as polio and small pox are proof that vaccines work as long as people get them. And if we can reach the point in society where that vaccine is no longer needed then they have served their purpose. So would you rather live in a world where you will skip a vaccine on the off chance you might have a bad reaction? Or would you like to live in a world where a vaccine has eliminated a virus and you have a 0% chance of catching that disease?

  21. FYI – NOT ALL VACCINES LAST FOREVER. For example, I received a Hep B vaccine as a child, however it wore off and I had to re-do the series as an adult.

    I understand you are putting your opinion out there and you even included a disclaimer, but if you’re going to encourage people to be diligent and do their research, then you should too; Especially when you have a large audience.

  22. Hey Food Babe,

    I was just checking in to see what Vitamins you recomend to take instead of getting the flu shot. I found a website that sells “healthy pure formulas” please let me know if this is something I should consider taking?

    Brand: Nature Made
    Serving Size: 2 Gummies
    Servings per Container: 75

    Amount per Serving / % Daily Value

    Calories 15
    Total Carbohydrate 3g / 1%**
    Sugars 3g / *
    Vitamin D3 (as Cholecalciferol) 2000 IU / 500%

    * Daily Value not established.
    ** Percent Daily Value.

    Other Ingredients: Sugar‚ Glucose‚ Water‚ Gelatin‚ Citric Acid‚ Natural Flavors‚ Glazing Agent (Palm Oil‚ White Beeswax‚ Carnauba Wax‚ Emulsifier: Glycerol Esters)‚ Malic Acid‚ Colors Added (Carmine‚ Curcumin‚ Paprika). – See more at: http://www.pureformulas.com/adult-gummies-vitamin-d3-150-gummies-by-nature-made.html#sthash.echOtOcK.dpuf

    Thank you!!!

  23. Hi Food Babe! I’ll make this QUICK! I work for a healthcare org and despite the “option” to decline being vaccinated it means wearing a face mask for 4 months – tried it last yr and just couldn’t stand it. I cringe at the thought of it but I do plan to get vaccinated this year – we have the option to request egg free, allergy free, preservative free or nasal vaccine – which option would be the least toxic/harmful to me?

  24. I will say this. I am 43 years old. I have never had the flu shot. I have never gotten the flu. Is the correlation between the two? I don’t know. Will I ever get one? Absolutely Not!! I have been through Stage IV Cancer. I don’t want it again. I will deal with the flu if I ever get it. Can’t be worse than cancer…

    1. Well, the flu can kill you (CAN, not will) and the Cancer didn’t (good for you) so it has the potential to be worse. Vaccines will not give you cancer again, that’s ignorant.

  25. Ummm….so for those who want vaccines injected into their bodies…then GO AHEAD!! But for the rest of us who DO NOT want this poison in or body…then respect that and let us be!

    1. Ever heard of herd immunity? You realise that by not protecting yourself you’re also acting as a vector to disease and could seriously endanger those who are unable to vaccinate themselves and immunocompromised individuals. Just because you don’t get ill, the virus can still infect you and you can still transmit this to others.

      1. The term “herd immunity” was first used in the late 19th century and was applied to NATURALLY acquired immunity (through illness) not vaccine acquired immunity. The best example of this would be China which has 99% vaccination rate (vaccination is mandatory there) and still has measles, mumps etc. The same goes for Poland (where I am from), we have 97/98% vaccination rate and still many cases of the above illness. This is a clear evidence that herd immunity will never be achieved through vaccination. And keep in mind that 100% vaccination rate in impossible due to immune compromised individuals who can’t be vaccinated.

  26. As for vaccines, recent whistleblower William Thompson, a CDC researcher involved with the study on the safety of the MMR vaccine and autism said, “He would not continue to lie about the connection between vaccines and autism”. This story was almost a complete blackout to the mainstream media, which is dependent on Big Pharma’s 8 billion dollar vaccine industry. Un-biased research shows the relationship between mercury, aluminum and other toxins that are contained in the injections which cause the auto immune response of brain swelling and retardation. It comes as a surprise to me, but not shocked to see uniformed and delusional health care professionals who pretend to promote wellness, yet push substances that will comprise the sanctity of a persons bloodstream and the body’s natural immunity.
    “As in the blood, so is man, he is just as weak, just as strong”……Hippocrates

  27. Thanks so much for the info! I have always been a little apprehensive about getting the flu shot because of scary stories of adverse side effects that I’ve heard. I haven’t gotten the flu shot in at least 5 years and have not gotten the flu. I am overall pretty healthy and hardly ever get colds or anything, so I’m not worried. Everyone should think of taking natural supplement to support a healthy immune system like Echinacea and Garlic. I also drink lots of OJ and take a multi-vitamin. 🙂 Thanks for your constant dedication to helping us be as healthy as we can be.

  28. It is about money. And those who don’t believe it, don’t understand the world that surrounds them. They give us shots like cows and they feed us non-food like cows. And everyone just says “mooooo-we need herd immunity,” “moooooo- it tastes good so it’s ok, leave me alone.” Where’s the critical thinking when the list of vaccine ingredients is read? “Attacking Foodbabe and (anyone else that disagrees), instead of the big companie$, they are the ones injecting animal parts and other strange things into our pregnant, or young healthy bodies and keeping us all fat and careless with syrup-feed. They did it to cows first, still doing it, and most of us didn’t care. And the same people that didn’t care about the cows don’t care about the people. I care. I’m voting with my body and my food!

  29. Very good Article. I don’t take flu vaccines (except that when I was pregnant). Someone asked me if I take flu vaccine every year, I told them ‘Nope, but I get flu every year 🙂 lol’. I deal with it.

  30. Personally, I don’t get flu shots. The last time I got the flu was in 1992, don’t know why it hasn’t hit me again. I will never get the flu shoot or any of what my doctor is pushing now a days. I don’t know what is in the vaccines and don’t care to know. What ever it is, it’s more money for somebody. Chicken pox and shingles are related, but from what I have seen or read, Merck made both vaccines. So did Merck plan this or is the chicken pox vaccine causing Shingles ? I did not get the chicken pox vaccine and I will never get shingle, not because of Merck or the vaccine but because of what I have been consuming for a whole lot of years, Organic raw honey, Organic coconut oil and Organic flax seed oil. Any one of those kills the Shingles virus. Stay healthy, and eat nothing but Organic !

    1. Chicken pox causes shingles. If you had chicken pox the virus for shingles is in your bones and 1 in 3 who have it will get shingles.
      Both are closely related herpes viruses – which is why the same company developed the vaccines.

  31. getting a shot does not make make you healthy. The vax companies are immune from lawsuits for damage from their products.. And adults and children do get damaged and sick. Its about making money and control. That crap in shots make you sick and weaken your immune system. Wake up people and quit eating processed food, eat fresh green organic produce and fruits and manage your stress, create healthy relationships. No shots for me – ever!~

  32. I can’t stand anti-vaxxers, but I agree with foodbabe. The flut shot is NOT a vaccine. It MAY prevent you from catching a SMALL # of possible flu viruses, but that’s it… and will probably make you come down with some sort of cold at least shortly after. Vaccines are important, but not this one… sure people die from the flu, but the shot probably wouldn’t have happened to protect from the one strain they caught… when they create an actual flu VACCINE, sure I’ll get it.

    1. ” It MAY prevent you from catching a SMALL # of possible flu viruses, but that’s it…”

      you literally just described what a vaccine does

      “and will probably make you come down with some sort of cold at least shortly after. ”

      um…no. not scientifically possible. if you come down with something, it would mean you already caught the virus before vaccination and were non-symptomatic during the incubation period.

      “Vaccines are important, but not this one… sure people die from the flu, but the shot probably wouldn’t have happened to protect from the one strain they caught…”

      Um….no. Please, give references for your ridiculous statements.

      “when they create an actual flu VACCINE, sure I’ll get it.”

      Yes, it’s called a flu shot that gets released every where.

      Instead of being so uninformed, go read up on vaccines and flu virus, along with how the virus mutates every year and why that poses challenges for creating vaccines.

  33. “A very famous immunologist & geneticist has completed studies and research that shows in that every five flu shots a person receives over a ten year period they increase their risk of Alzheimer Disease by ten times!”

    PLEASE provide the studies, name of the scientist, something! How can you make sure a claim and not cite it?

  34. The flu is a serious sickness that has and will continue to take lives. The reason you get another vaccine every year is because the virus mutates and the previous vaccine is no longer effective. The reason everyone always says to get it is because when you are vaccinated, not only are you protecting yourself, you are protecting those around you who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. For your idea of encountering the flu naturally, that is a good way to be hospitalized or die. I don’t care if you peg me as a hater, don’t care if you ban me. My friend almost died because he cannot be vaccinated and there are people that are reading this page, skipping the vaccine, and putting themselves and others at risk. Get the vax.

    1. Lots of people skip the flu vaccine. I’m not sure where you are from, but this past year, it was estimated to be effective 23% of the time. Pretty crappy odds. In looking at the CDC website, it’s rarely effective over 50% of the time. Other vaccines have way better rates.

  35. This is the first thing I’ve read by you. I have a question, and I ask you to bear me if you’ve already answered it in another article.

    You say that you’re not against all vaccinations, but you’re against the flu vaccination. So, then, what vaccinations are you in favor of?

    You mentioned that flu vaccines contain thiomersal. That;s not true. Thiomersal hasn’t been used in the United States since 1999.

  36. Unlike many, I totally agree with you Food Babe. I think vaccines for chicken pox, and Hep B are completely necessary and parents would be stupid not to vaccinate their children. But, the flu shot has had so many complications in the past year. My old elementary principal had the flu shot given to her and two days later fell over at school and was then taken to the emergency room. They did several tests on her and now she is paralyzed for life. She was healthy and young. I’m not going to say it was the vaccine, BUT-

  37. Also if anyone trusts the FDA or CDC and is commenting on this, you should re-think who you actually trust.

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