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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. “Let’s say for instance, you get a vaccine for another virus like Hepatitis A or B – you are immunized for life.”

    I just want to point out that this information is inaccurate. You are not immunized for life by any vaccine, hence the need for “booster shots.” And with most vaccines, effectiveness is not considered complete until the entire series is completed. The Hepatitis B schedule, for example, is 3 shots. One at birth, 2 months, and between 6-18 months. And even then, immunity is not for life. Have you seen the adult CDC recommended vaccine schedule?

    The only way to be immunized for life is to actually acquire the wild strain of the illness and recover, which is how our parents and grandparents and great grandparents got their immunity…

    1. Actually, even naturally acquired immunity eventually “wears off” if you’re not re-exposed to the pathogen in question. The memory cells created as a reaction to either natural infection or a vaccine – which are the exact same cell regardless of the method of exposure – eventually die if they are not re-activated by exposure to the pathogen.

  2. I’m fascinated by your claim that flu vaccines have been linked to higher likelihood of development Alzheimer’s disease. Could you please share a source? The only literature I can find on the topic – link below – actually shows the exact opposite: Past vaccination is associated with *lower* risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11762573

    1. This is just big pharma hogwash. Look, if flu is such a big deal, how are humans even here? 6,000 years or so we did just fine without the so-called “flu vaccine”.

      1. The average life expectancy a hundred years ago was 31 years. [“Expectations of Life” by H.O. Lancaster (page 8)]. Now the worldwide life expectancy is greater than 67 years. The main reason for this? Vaccines and antibiotics.

        There is no one on that paper cited by PJK who works for Big Pharma; just academics who make it their life work to better our health. Would you rather believe an untrained blogger who jumps from topic to topic? Or someone who has spent decades learning as much as possible about a single subject? And why your choice?

  3. sadly u cant make the excuse you have an egg allergy. this year they have made genetically modified vaccines from insects cells and from dog kidney cell. absolutely terrifying.

  4. The effectiveness of the annual Influenza vaccine varies by age group, type of vaccine given, and year. Overall vaccine efficacy averages out at ~60% in healthy adults (and is statistically significant), but is ineffective in the elderly. Unfortunately some years the virus mutates in an unexpected way and the vaccine is not effective. However to say that is the case every year is irresponsible.

    The best way to protect the elderly is for vaccine coverage in the general population to be high enough to create herd immunity, hence the general recommendation to get vaccination. By opting out of vaccination (which is of course your right), you are undermining the herd immunity effect and putting elderly people at risk of severe illness and death.

    An annual flu shot is required because the virus mutates quite quickly. Also the vaccine elicits modest amounts of antibodies that reach protective levels for only about 6 months, meaning even when the vaccine hasn’t needed an update, you likely need a boost to achieve protective antibody levels. I’m afraid your comparison of the influenza vaccine to other vaccines reveals your lack of knowledge of vaccines and infectious diseases in general.

    Of course looking after your health is sensible, but allowing yourself to contract flu is dangerous to those around you who might not be so healthy. Let’s be very clear that in the 3-4 days incubation period after you have been infected you will be extremely infectious to other people around you while unaware of your infection.

    You have also entirely skipped the recent studies that showed the influenza vaccine DECREASED the rate of heart attacks in people who received it.

    Mercury has been banned as a vaccine additive since the 1990s – you appear to have brushed that one under the carpet. Studies linking vaccines to harming the brain (Alzheimers etc) are not mainstream science. You appear to be cherry picking a few conclusions some left-field scientists have made in order to fit your agenda, while ignoring the overwhelming number of studies that find no such link.

    I’m sorry but your article is biased drivel from someone who mistakes opinion for fact, and doesn’t appear to invest in much fact checking despite claiming it as your raison d’etre.

  5. After my grandson experienced the 3 months of torture brought on by the Docs recommended vaccinations, I vowed never to be an uninformed victim again. It appears that Food Babe is now in the crosshairs of blog crashers paid by big pharma to try and discredit the truth with pompous so called educated MD field affiliated people who are sooo concerned for “your health”. Congratulations food Babe! You are now part of a long list of true pioneers like Dr. Joseph Mercola, and Barbara Loe Fisher to name a few. Do not shrink back, stay strong and courageous! The truth can set you free only if you know it!

  6. I would like to know if the food babe takes organic supplements? If, so what brand? I purchase Andrew Lessman’s supplements and I am very happy with them but I would really like to know if there is really a big difference in organic supplements and those not labelled organic? Thank you for your help?

  7. Go FOOD BABE!!! Everyone else who disagrees: I’m glad to hear you have something to say. Now shut up.

  8. FYI… Vaccines do not give you life immunity. Vaccines only “protect” for 2-8 years. That is why they try to give boosters. Only way to get life long immunity is to contract it naturally.

  9. 1) If vaccines are for life then don’t bother updating your tetanus vaccine if you step on a rusty nail. According to you, you are protected for life.
    2) There is no mercury used in the single dose flu shots. It has not been used in shots for years. You don’t have to be a dr- just google it.
    3) Aluminum is used in some vaccines but check your facts on the flu shot and also its link to Alzheimers. The Alzheimer’s association says itself it is very unlikely there is any link between the two.
    4) I’m glad you can be so healthy and never get sick. But do you have children? If you do, do they live in a plastic bubble? I can feed my kids all the carrot sticks in the world but if “Johnny with the Flu” sneezes on them in the cafeteria, my whole family is in jeopardy, including my infant who is too young to be vaccinated.
    5) Your “blog” without any medical references may lead to the death of children this year. I hope you are taking your accusations against the flu shot seriously. If you are around children or have children, please take a second to reconsider “Food Babe’s” blog and go read “Vaccine Babe’s” medical journals. Food babe is not a doctor and should not pretend to play one on the web.

    1. Many of us do have kids and don’t get the flu vaccine and do just fine. I have 4 children ages 13-21 and over the years we have had years we all got the flu, we rested, we took vitamin C and fluids and came through it, yes it sucked especially for the younger ones, but we had been building our bodies and got through it. Since changing eating and taking the right vitamins we have been flu free for over 6 years and we are out and about not locked away.

      We can sit here are post back and forth you with a link to someone supporting vaccines and so on but those with strong minds will read and learn for themselves what works for them.

      The problem now is that too many of us have life experiences with bad reactions to vaccines and successes without them and everyone will keep sharing their truth and no study can take away that truth. But you attempting to place blame on Food Babe for possible death is a rotten thing to do. Who shall we blame for the recent deaths from the flu vaccine should that be you because you support it? Just curious.

      Having an opinion is one thing but threatening a blogger with nasty comments like yours is just downright rude.

    2. If your kid gets sick from my unvaccinated kid I am to blame. Kindly tell me will you take blame if my kid suffers a reaction or vaccine injury because he is taking one for the team? Who will take the blame? I will live with it my entire life….so excuse me if I don’t find it my responsibility to protect your kids…..that’s your responsibility….whether you feel safer by sticking needles into him or into a voodoo doll….I trust you will make the best decision for your children.

  10. Thank you so much sweet sister. I wish you many blessings for all your noble endeavors, such as making this information available to us <3

  11. Out of curiosity….

    I left a comment several days ago that has not been posted, although I see new comments since my visit. In my comment I also requested references. I had done the research on my own, as encouraged in the article, and could find no evidence or information citing the ineffectiveness of the vaccine. I did, however, find several studies that demonstrated its effectiveness, and posted both quotes from and links to the studies. Why has my comment not been shared?

    Thank you.

  12. Hi! I love your blog and I love the information you share and promote. But I do wish you would cite sources and be more specific with info, it would make your posts more reputable.

    For example: “… a very famous immunologist & geneticist” — who? “…the CDC even admits it doesn’t protect you…” — Could you link to a statement?

    I truly believe that you have done your research. But every high schooler who writes a term paper is taught to cite references. It is critical.

    Please don’t think I’m being judgey, I just really would love to share more of your posts but I know that other critical thinkers reading it would ask the exact same question: what are your sources?

    Thanks for taking the time to read my comment. I’m not getting the flu shot for myself or my children either this year, wish us luck! 🙂

  13. I got a vaccine a little over 3yrs ago. Seven days later I was in an ambulance on my way to the ER at the hospital, Paralyzed from the waste down, 100% kidney failure, and a blood clot in my right leg. I spent 2 months in 3 different hospitals, had to have dialysis 4 times a week, learn how to walk again, physical & ocupational therapy, tons of blood thinners for the clot in my leg, 3 transfusions, mri’s & cat scans , hundreds of blood draws, can’t REMEMBER the rest. The WORST of it… ..all I can say was HELL, HELL HELL, was the MOST AGONIZING,EXCRUSHIATING PAIN I have ever felt in my body. I WILL NEVER GET ANY KIND OF SHOT EVER!! What I have discribed is known as GBS (Guillian Barre Syndrom)Just be aware of what you’re putting in your body!!

    1. GBS causes kidney failure, the need for blood transfusions, and paralysis just from the waist down?

      No.

      I don’t know what you had, but it wasn’t Guillan Barre.

  14. Do you people even READ??????

    “***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.***”

    I haven’t gotten a flu shot now in more years than I have gotten a flu shot. I am careful around people, wash my hands before eating etc and I have not been sick in at least 5 years and I work with the public and handle money and credit/debit cards all day long. The problem with most of the disgusting population of the world is that you people have no problems pumping gas, using cash and debit machines and then ordering a big mac, chomping it down, licking your fingers all while never washing your damn hands. You’re sucking back LOADS of disgusting germs and fecal matter. Colds don’t “go around”, you’re eating the germs.

      1. Washing your hands is the absolute best advice for preventing flu. Since I have been washing my hands every chance I get, I don’t even get the sniffles anymore! It works!!

  15. Great article, FB. Way to get people talking!

    Can you give me the doi numbers to the studies you reference? Thanks!

  16. Why would you publish this article without checking your facts? There is enough bull on the internet as it is, without people spreading false stories and instilling fear in people. I am not a fan of vaccines, but the proof is there that flu shots reduce deaths, especially in older people. Are you willing to have people dying based on not doing your research, because you’ve scared someone that would have otherwise been vaccinated and potentially avoided a fatal case of the flu?

    From the National Alzheimers Research Website:

    http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp

    Myth 6: Flu shots increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease
    Reality: A theory linking flu shots to a greatly increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease has been proposed by a U.S. doctor whose license was suspended by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. Several mainstream studies link flu shots and other vaccinations to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and overall better health.

    A Nov. 27, 2001, Canadian Medical Journal report suggests older adults who were vaccinated against diphtheria or tetanus, polio, and influenza seemed to have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those not receiving these vaccinations. The full text of this report is posted on the journal’s Web site.

    A report in the Nov. 3, 2004, JAMA found that annual flu shots for older adults were associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes. The abstract of that report is posted on PubMed.

    Myth 4: Drinking out of aluminum cans or cooking in aluminum pots and pans can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
    Reality: During the 1960s and 1970s, aluminum emerged as a possible suspect in Alzheimer’s. This suspicion led to concern about exposure to aluminum through everyday sources such as pots and pans, beverage cans, antacids and antiperspirants. Since then, studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer’s. Experts today focus on other areas of research, and few believe that everyday sources of aluminum pose any threat.

  17. FoodBabe,

    I believe Big Pharma spent 60 billion on marketing in 2012. They ususally spend around 40 billion.

  18. I have had the flu. The real thing, yes, not the stomach virus most people call the flu. From one minute to the next, I felt fine and then I started getting chills and fever. I had an hour drive to get home, and then I laid on the couch or in my bed for 6 days, feeling so bad I would have been grateful to die. Then, that being finally over, I had the worst headache I have ever had (and I get sinus headaches frequently). I will never go through that again, especially since, I could have died, and I should have gone to the doctor. How did I get this flu? A friend refused to stay home from work (in food service, no less) and she gave it to me, along with who knows how many other people. I get a flu shot every year now. I have not gotten influenza since I have been getting vaccinated.

  19. Sorry don’t mean to get off subject, but I had to laugh at this pic above. The guy next to you (Who looks like he’s going to kill someone) then I read the shirt he’s wearing “There is always sunshine in my heart” Now that’s funny! As for the flu shot, I agree! Never had one and I will never get one. 🙂

  20. I hope none of you or your children become diabetic and have to seriously consider the insulin you are injecting into your body that is made by the big bad pharmaceutical companies if you get this hyped up about flu shots. I get mine every year because I work I the healthcare community and many people like to speak their germs and I have never gotten sick or any sort of side effect for the flu shot in 19 years.

    P.s. Thimersol was never in the flu shot…only the mmr

  21. I did not read all the comments above, so forgive me if I am repeating! As a healthcare professional the # 1 best way to avoid the flu is washing your hands, FREQUENTLY! Soap and water work best, but if it’s not available, hand sanitizer is ok too (in moderation!) remember that anti-bacterial soap like Dial can actually be worse for you! It kills the “good bacteria” on your skin (called “normal flora”) and can leave you more susceptible to bad germs. The friction created when rubbing your hands together under running water is what actually gets rid of most of the bacteria. Sanitize surfaces- doorknobs and phones and other things that you frequently touch. And you don’t have to use bleach products, plain old rubbing alcohol is a great germ killer!! Give your body a chance to build natural- not artificial- antibodies to common cold and flu viruses and you will build yourself a stronger immune system! (Of course, it is appropriate for some to get the flu shot, use your judgement and discuss it with a doctor who cares more about his patients than he does about payments!)

  22. Thank you for confirming my belief on flu shots. Our family never got one!

  23. I got a Flu shot once about 25 years ago and got the Flu so bad that year I swore I’d never get another one. I haven’t gotten the shot and I have NOT had the Flu since.

  24. I think Foodbabe should stick to food.

    For some people, flu means a few days off work with a box of tissues and a cup of hot lemon water. For others flu is a killer. In the first 24 hours of the illness, an infected person, not yet feeling bad enough to go home and to bed, can infect countless individuals…some strong enough to fight it off because they have been eating right, etc., and some who have weakened immune systems who may become seriously ill and may die. I would not want that on my conscience.

    I get the shot. It has never made me sick. I will continue to get the shot, regardless of whatever is in it, because it is working.

  25. NO FLU SHOTS!! My personal experience of using garlic as a home medicine started many years ago when I decided to try it for treatment of my runny nose while a flu season. I simply crashed a garlic clove in some 20 teaspoons (half-cup) of water, allowed it to stay for some 30 min and then slowly poured a teaspoon of the solution (supposedly allicin extract) into each nose hole while laying down on a bed. What I have found out in minutes was that my nose was dried and flu symptoms were lightened. Since then I have been using this procedure on a regular basis especially while a flu season like this one. It does produce profound preventive effect particularly when done before you get sick. And you can store the aqueous garlic preparation in a fridge for a couple of days without notable loss in its efficacy. One day eight years ago I unfortunately was involved into a flu vaccination campaign at work. Next day I turned to feel so miserably sick that I swore to myself to never ever do this again. Guess what? Now I don’t remember what it is like to be sick. Are YOU the one who is quick to remind this to me? Watch video: Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick. Also please read recent this very useful update on health benefits of garlic: How to love garlic without loosing friends.

  26. SO grateful for this info. I have intuitively felt it ‘unnecessary’ to get this shot. I did when my babies were infants and could not receive one. I feared for their little lungs/ safety, but didn’t know much outside of the typical propaganda that we’re fed year after year. I have become much more diligent about research – though my time restraints don’t always allow for going as in-depth as I’d like, so this comes at an ideal time. Please, Vani, don’t worry about the ‘haters’ or the nay-sayers in general. I can’t express how much your research means to me and my family. There are always going to be at least 2 sides to every ‘opinion’. You have done your part by not only providing us with another view of this/ the other side of things/ the part our greedy organizers don’t want us to be aware of (similar to the food issues, etc, that plague our society) – but you’ve also included your disclaimer right at the top of the page. YES. Perhaps there are people whose specific circumstances are such that the potential (possible?) benefits outweigh the potential (possible) risks – though in this case, there are zero guarantees. Considering all of the options is one thing. But, let’s stop harshing on Vani for her dedication to INFORMING us beyond propaganda; It is NOT the answer – merely because those who nay-say have fears to deal with. I feel for you. You have a tough choice to make in the matter. However, THIS information gives us a means by which to make INFORMED decisions. I want to know BOTH sides of the story. I want to know ALL of the information, and then use my instincts and best judgement to try to make the best decision for myself and my family members. It may not be the same decision that best suits others, but I do happen to believe that boosting our health is the best way to maintaining and managing it overall (as opposed to weakening it). THANK YOU Vani!!!! I totally needed this information! Keep up the wonderful work! PS: Not out of a lack of trust, but purely out of a desire to dig further – citing sources could be very beneficial (and will at least give those nay-sayers something additional to chew on/ become less likely to fire their oppositions toward YOU, personally, when they do not agree.) When we’re un/ under-informed, it’s easy to WANT to believe that our government, etc, has/ have our best interests at heart. But I think by now we (should) know better. Again – thank you for your dedication to truly informing the public with what goes otherwise “hidden”.

    1. The main reason to consider a flu shot is not so much so that you don’t get the flu, but so that you don’t end up hospitalized, or dead, if you do. A good analogy is seat belts, which don’t necessarily keep you from getting in a crash, but rather increase your chances of surviving the crash. “Food Babe’s” reasoning for not getting a flu shot is like deciding not to wear seat belts because there is a potential of crashing over a bridge and ending upside down on the river and unable to save yourself because you can’t get the seat belt off. Also, flu shots save lives by decreasing the spread of flu, particularly to those who may be immunocompromised, such as elderly, young children, pregnant women, people with cancer, diabetes, asthma, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and HIV, to mention a few. The flu still kills 36,000 people each year just in the US alone. To put it in perspective, there were about 33,000 motor vehicle deaths in the US in 2010. The H1N1 epidemic of 2009 and 2010 mostly affected young healthy people, many who ended up hospitalized or dead. San Diego, unfortunately, experienced a record breaking 65 deaths during that epidemic, many in young pregnant women. The H1N1 flu of 1918 killed more American and European soldiers than the Great War they were fighting in. It also killed up to 5% of the world’s population. So, you won’t necessarily get in a car crash, or die if you do, if you’re not wearing a seat belt, but you’d be stupid not to wear it while driving.

      1. I agree with Azthez! I could not sate the rational, science base reasons for getting the flu vaccine as effectively. When you make the decision to skip the flu vaccine, which of course is your right think of the person sitting next to you on the bus who has just finished Chemo or the baby who is too young to get vaccinated. You choose to put them at risk if you contract the flu. Your may live but some one else you expose may not be so lucky.

  27. Can you please link the study directly for this statement:
    “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!”

    I personally do not take the flu shot nor ever will, but the actual study/article link would be very beneficial. Plus, you would come across as a lot more professional if you linked the studies either directly in your post or below the article. I’m sure most would agree.

    Thanks.

    1. Yes, I agree, I was going to ask for the same thing. I’m a new visitor to your blog and like what you have to say, but for me it’s missing credibility and direct sources to back-up the statements you make.

      It would also be good to add more credentials, if you have them, to your biography section. What educational background do you have? Have you studied nutrition science? And if not, that’s ok, but tell visitors about the hours of independent research you’ve done, or what it is that qualifies you to speak on the topics you do.

      1. There is a reason she didn’t cite anything.

        The only negative bit she seemed to get right is that, yes, it’s no secret that the flu vaccine is less effective for the elderly.

        It’s unfortunate that write-ups like this cause so much harm, otherwise we could simply wave them off. Unfortunately, nearly 50,000 people probably die from influenza complications annually in this country alone. Watch this: Thompson WW, Moore MR, Weintraub E, et al. Estimating influenza-associated deaths in the United States. Am J Pub Health 2009;99:S225–30.

        That’s called a citation. It was pretty easy, too. It took me maybe 15 seconds to pull up, copy, and paste. Now you can check my facts to see whether I’m just talking nonsense.

        However, since I have you, I do firmly object to the terribly sexist comments made below. I do hope foodbabe pays them no mind.

      2. Cole, the problem with the flu vaccine is that the mutates at least once every year, and the flu vaccine is never guaranteed to actually protect against it. I have never been flu vaccinated, and I have never gotten the flu. However, I have many friends and have spoken to many people who HAVE been vaccinated against the flu, and immediately became sick with the flu right after. These are all anecdotal stories of course, however, the fact of the ever-mutating flu virus and the non guarantee of the flu vaccine is unrefuted.

        For scholarly dispute on all other vaccines; I haven’t the time to discuss and link journal studies. I know what I know, and I am confident enough in my choice to not feel the need to change everybody elses mind. To each their own.

        BUT, here is a snazzy little peer reviewed and published study on how vaccines against highly mutated vaccines (flu ie influenza) can actually increase susceptibility to disease. Much like overuse of antibiotics. Common sense, really. The abstract was published in 2003, and if any refuting study has been published since, I will be happy to read it if linked.

        It’s time for people to educate themselves on hard sciences (biology, chemistry etc) and read actual studies instead of relying on media and hysterical commentators for information.

        Science is always evolving and new conclusions and “facts” being discovered, so it’s important to keep and open and informed mind and read for yourself.

        Critical thinking is one’s friend.

  28. I appreciate the fact that you want to be informed on this topic, but you must learn which resources are reputable sources for your research! Most of the “facts” and “research” that you quote in this article are incorrect or taken completely out of context. I have a Bachelors and a graduate degree in Biology, and my many years of research and experience have led to the conclusion that vaccines are not dangerous and save thousands of lives every year. Get informed by the right sources, and please don’t promote this hogwash that vaccines are dangerous because you will lead impressionable people toward putting themselves and their children at risk.

    1. Agreed!

      Also, the flu vaccine is NOT a money-maker! That’s one of the biggest myths out there. The gov’t actually requires pharm companies some years to make the flu vaccine to ensure there will be enough for the population; it’s not one pharmaceutical companies are generally jumping to make. A co can spend tons of money making a flu vaccine and then it all goes to waste if it turns out they predicted the wrong strains. It is pushed because it is genuinely good for people and out of concern for the public health, NOT to make money.

      1. Every time I’ve received the flu shot it was dirt cheap and/or free with my insurance. (When I had Kaiser it was free, when I was uninsured very affordable.)

        So yeah, while the government pisses me off much of the time, in this case they have the right idea in making shots such as the flu shot affordable to keep the general public healthy and out of the hospital.

  29. must be why she posted this before she wrote the article..

    ***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.***

    post on sister, we need more weomen like you out there. sat nam mama <3

  30. For those who are really interested in researching this, I suggest starting at the Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/vaccinesafety.htm

    You might find that tens of thousands of highly trained scientists, epidemiologies, infectious disease experts and medical doctors might know a little more than some babe with a blog.

    1. To concerned citizen….. You realize the CDC is owned by the government right?!?! So… Of course they’re going to back the flu vaccine??? http://drtenpenny.com/the-truth-about-the-flu-shot/
      Here a link for those of you that want resources.. Why you can’t research for yourself I don’t know. There are more resources out there for people who actually take the time to look. Furthermore, this is a blog… She clearly states that in her disclaimer. And M smith your theory about good looking women is rediculous. She looks great “because” she is healthy… If you all don’t like her opinions, don’t read them.

      1. The CDC website has links to the primary sources: original scientific publications that show the risks and the benefits. The link you provided only has primary sources that serve to support the implied conclusion; and the summaries presented do not reflect the conclusions in the cited literature in most cases.

        All that said, once someone resorts to conspiracy theories of an evil government (which you suggest is the reason the CDC recommends the flu shot for most people) there really is no purpose in maintaining a discussion.

        I merely suggested the CDC website as a starting point for those who genuinely want to become informed about this issue. There isn’t much I can say to people whose sole purpose is to advance a personal agenda.

      2. so the government wants everyone dead?

        Normal not to trust BIG PHARMA as they have a financial incentive to sell drugs to people. But Big Pharma doesn’t make much profit from vaccines, just enough to keep them in the game. The CDC (‘government”)is world respected FYI. They are a bunch of public servants who arent’ well paid. Their job is to keep the populace healthy. They look like morons and get fired if they fail miserably. What could be their motive to lie? They dont’ have ties usually to Big Pharma. They don’t oversee most drugs like the FDA.
        You are painting with a brush that is way too wide. The belief “government bad” is too simplistic. Just as you/people believe this website babe truly cares about people’s health so is telling you the truth, I tell you most CDC people are in it for the same reason. I can’t even imagine any other motive.

    2. One can ALWAYS use statistics to make their case— everyone- even the CDC. Big Pharma wants- NEEDS- people to believe that they are not capable of being the self healing, self regulating organisms they were put on this earth to be… all in the name of profit. Because of relentless over medicating/over vaccinating, our bodies have become weak and thus have become vessels for germs. Remember, it’s not germs that make you sick- the lowered resistance to them!

      1. Ah yes, you are quite right…life was so much better in the pre-vaccine/pre-antibiotic days, when infectious diseases were by far the leading cause of death, and childhood mortality was close to 25%.

        And Pharma make very little profit on vaccines; so much so that it’s hard to find anyone to make them.

        Both of these claims are very easily researched and verified, if you are truly interested.

    3. Thank you! I couldnt agree more. There is a growing number of self professed experts on this subject. The “all natural” club. If it didn’t have the potential for serious harm, I would say they should do what they want. But their decisions affect everyone. She states that the HepA and B vaccines give lifelong immunity. Not always true. Also, vaccines usually give immunity. They aren’t really two different things, they are related. The flu shot is a bit of a guessing game, but it does save lives! I’ve heard people say essential oils give immunity. We have a lot of people who follow blindly.

  31. I love conspiracy theories.
    Unfortunately, flu shots can’t be categorized as such.

    This article need citations, especially for the statements regarding the mutability of the flu virus, as well as the CDC’s ability to predict next years strain (which are plain wrong).

    As someone else pointed out, there are thousands of scientists and researchers who work on the flu vaccine every year. They’ve each had anywhere from 6 to 8 more years education on flu viruses than this food blogger.

    Furthermore, just because things like aluminum and latex are listed as possible contaminants, doesn’t mean you’re in trouble. Don’t waltz into this discussion with zero understanding of the industry standards and make claims about their implications. Anything and everything in a facility that produces a vaccine is considered a potential contaminant. THIS IS NOT THE FOOD INDUSTRY. If the standards for contaminates were the same in the vaccine and medical industry as they are in the food industry, a single canned drink would contain substantially more “aluminum contaminants” than pretty much all the flu shots you could ever get.

    Please get vaccinated. Flu kills many people every year. A flu shot will not hinder your body’s ability to build immunity.

    Seriously. There’s no conspiracy.
    Not with this, anyway.

  32. My parents used to take me to the doctor all the time as a kid and I would get the flu shot every year. And every year I would get THE FLU.! Multiple times a year! Since being an adult, for 10 years now, i have NOT ONCE gotten the flu shot… and in 10 years i have NOT ONCE gotten the flu.

    I love Food Babe! Say all the negative things you wish. You don’t have to come to her page.

    Eating natural foods, healthy, organic, super foods, exercising, and building up your immune system naturally………. how can this be a bad thing? Go get your flu shots if you wish, it’s your body not mine not foodbabes, …i personally dont care if you are injecting poison into your body, I just don’t want you giving money to the big pharma companies, that’s all I care about!

    1. Jendel,
      1) Equating anecdote with evidence is fallacious

      2) Something that is ‘organic’ is made of carbon, all food is made of carbon, therefore all food is organic.

      3) Sounds like you are drinking rhetoric from the ‘alternative’ medicine fountain (which is three times larger than the pharmaceutical industry in my country). Your immune system is kept suppressed for a very good reason, when ‘boosted’ (such as when you are sick) your immune system releases chemicals like ‘cytokines’ which have neurotoxic properties (ie they kill brain cells). If you really are ‘boosting’ (whatever that means) your immune system, you would also be sustaining brain damage.

      4) You may not care if you are passing around viruses that kill babies and the elderly (probably because you are neither) but others do.

      5) It is sooooo cute how Americans always throw a conspiracy theory into everything they say. Moon landing was faked, global warming is a hoax, evolution is a lie, The government is using pharmaceutical companies/chemtrails to reduce the global population, Illuminati, 911, etc etc… rofl.

      1. @Raz please leave and go waste your time ranting to someone who cares. Goodbye:)

      2. Anecdotal evidence is all most anyone has to go on. Her statement along proves that whether you get the flu vaccine or not, you can A) still get the flu and B) therefore, end up infecting the elderly and children.

        For the most part, I’m sure the flu vaccine works, for the 12 month lifespan it seems to have, in regards to the general population as a whole. I’m sure it’s cut back the amount of death the would exist if it didn’t exist and most people didn’t get it, but the point is, it is no guarantee. But the bottom line is, the Country is doing something majorly wrong somewhere when you consider the increase in diseases like Austism and Cancer. Most Americans react to fear and have low educational background, which is why they go ahead and eat garbage food the govt gives them and get every vaccine and take every pharmaceutical drug they can reach. And in the end, we see people dying of total BS like cancer.

        Like Jendel, I haven’t had the flu shot since I became an adult 10 years ago, and I have never had the flu either. I refuse to get something “just because” everyone else is and it “might” help reduce death in children and elderly. I will, however, consider it when I have children, or will just have my kids get it a few times and see how they react. But overall, people should be paying attention to their own and children’s health and making independent decisions. When you get a flu shot every single year and get the flu anyways, every single year, i think logic says, stop taking the flu shot. It’s obviously not meant for that person! (Not blaming you Jendel, but whoever MADE you get it every year).

  33. The flu shot doesn’t work. A few years ago I got the flu H1N1, and my friend got the vaccine for it. He got it anyway. The shot didn’t help a bit. And no, it wasn’t that big a deal….just a flu with more muscle aches. The media over dramatizes everything to make it sound like it was life threatening. Please.

    1. it didn’t work for you it seems. But it is entirely erroneous to equate your one person experience with it Not Working At All. See you can’t know if it worked for you. Sometimes what the flu shot does is decrease the severity of your infection. You can’t know the alternate reality of you getting that flu without the shot. Could have been a serious case theoretically. Some young healthy adults even died, though not many, many more than in a usual year.

      Secondly, you might not know that most vaccines are not 100% effective. They are not advertised as being so by the CDC BUT many adults still believe that they are supposed to be and get affronted when they hear a shot is only, say 60 percent effective. I Think it’s because when we were little kids our parents said “this shot will keep you from getting sick with a disease”. Kids are black and white so we heard it as thinking it will 100percent prevent it. Our doctors dont correct this assumption I think because they don’t know that most people think it is supposed to be 100 percent effective.

      Anyway the shot you got for that particular flu was on the low side of effectiveness. By the way, they can only tell for sure AFTER the flu season what the effectiveness rate was. They estimate it from the clinical trials beforehand. So it’s possible that it was 50 percent effective. You probably were in the unlucky half.

      Glad you didn’t get really sick. My friend’s daughter almost died, was in the ICU for two weeks. She wasn’t vaccinated. Her two sisters were and they didn’t catch it. Her parents were and they didn’t catch it. (the child is allergic to eggs so can’t get flu shot it’s made in eggs). I wouldn’t say that meant much about the effectiveness of the vaccine even though it’s more data then YOU USE (just yourself).

  34. Most informed people don’t take flu shots…by informed I mean people who don’t listen to what the doctors and the pharmaceutical industries say, but who do their own research.
    Please continue with your smart and thorough posts….I agree with you 100%.
    We need more people like you to go mainstream.

    1. it didn’t work for you it seems. But it is entirely erroneous to equate your one person experience with it Not Working At All. See you can’t know if it worked for you. Sometimes what the flu shot does is decrease the severity of your infection. You can’t know the alternate reality of you getting that flu without the shot. Could have been a serious case theoretically. Some young healthy adults even died, though not many, many more than in a usual year.

      Secondly, you might not know that most vaccines are not 100% effective. They are not advertised as being so by the CDC BUT many adults still believe that they are supposed to be and get affronted when they hear a shot is only, say 60 percent effective. I Think it’s because when we were little kids our parents said “this shot will keep you from getting sick with a disease”. Kids are black and white so we heard it as thinking it will 100percent prevent it. Our doctors dont correct this assumption I think because they don’t know that most people think it is supposed to be 100 percent effective.

      Anyway the shot you got for that particular flu was on the low side of effectiveness. By the way, they can only tell for sure AFTER the flu season what the effectiveness rate was. They estimate it from the clinical trials beforehand. So it’s possible that it was 50 percent effective. You probably were in the unlucky half.

      Glad you didn’t get really sick. My friend’s daughter almost died, was in the ICU for two weeks. She wasn’t vaccinated. Her two sisters were and they didn’t catch it. Her parents were and they didn’t catch it. (the child is allergic to eggs so can’t get flu shot it’s made in eggs). I wouldn’t say that meant much about the effectiveness of the vaccine even though it’s more data then YOU USE (just yourself).

  35. If you get a chance to read the packet insert from the pharmaceutical company that processed the vaccine, you’ll see how very limited the research has been on the effectiveness of the vaccine in building antibodies ( only in 50% of those who get it) and that there has been no research done on whether those 50% who built up the antibodies were protected from getting the flu that year. There is also no evidence that people “carry” the virus and give it to others without getting sick themselves, as the source of demand by health care industries and advertisements to induce guilt and fear suggest. You will also be able to see that the formula is pretty much the same as last year, for which they acknowledged that they missed the flus that hit. One in this year’s formula is the Brisbane flu of 2008. No recent research was done last year, that was a model year to evaluate due to the forcing of all health care workers to be given flu vaccines. Lets look and see how it worked. As a healthcare worker I noticed that the ones who got very sick with flu and couldn’t shake it were smokers, whether vaccinated or not.

    1. oh you are so wrong. Perhaps you are talking about the preliminary research decades ago before they shot was used in the general public? I can’t speak to that.

      The CDC is heavily involved in overseeing drug companies who make the vaccine. It is unlike other drugs they make. The flu shot in the US is made exactly the same way and has been since the 90’s as far as I know. Each year the only difference is the piece of virus used is from the new, if it is, strain…methods ingredients all the same. Anyway, the CDC has studied this (same) shot quite a lot, probably more than ANY OTHER DRUG on the planet. Because millions of people have gotten it, virtually the same shot every year. Every year they test efficacy and look at antibodies. It varies year to year but they wouldn’t bother to release a shot that didn’t work well enough to make a difference. You think the CDC conspire to release a shot that doesn’t work? Their job, only, is to keep Americans healthy. They are worldwide respected for this. They aren’t the FDA and aren’t involved in making a profit nor possibly having ties to Big Pharma. They don’t approve any other drugs as far as I know except vaccines..
      And then when the shot is good enough they give it to the public AND THEN after the flu season they analyse the data. Millions of people will have gotten the shot. And so they have a great built in study with millions of subjects. They can figure efficacy from that.

    2. I notice now that you are a healthcare worker. I think in reading the insert you miss the understanding of the vaccine that researchers have gotten over years, perhaps decades. THe vaccine is made exactly the same way every year, just the same snippet of a slightly different strain(s). Maybe that is why deep study is not done every year. Efficacy studies though are done before and after the flu season. After the season–think about it—they have n=millions in their sample size. It’s a pretty accurate study just by the number of people who got the shot.

      I get you seem to resent having to get a shot. But you also seem to be surprised or resentful that it is only 50% efficacious. That is a bit low but most (?all) vaccines for different disease don’t have 100% efficacy. They vary depending on how they are made and the pathogenics of the bug as you may know. I am not sure why people think the reasonably low efficacy is hidden. Many people, mostly nonmedical, react as you seem to and feel betrayed in learning that 50-70 percent (last year was on the low side). It isn’t a secret. Whenever I get prescribed a drug from my doctor I ask the side effects and how likely it would work. But people don’t think to do so around vaccines, it is strange to me. I think what it may be is that as kids we are taught only “vaccines keep you from getting sick” (our parents want us to get them). We assume as kids in our black and white way that we WON”T get sick, no chance, if we get vaccinated. Doctors don’t correct this wrong assumption in adults, I think because they don’t remember many adults have it.
      The CDC aren’t a bunch of liars. They do want to do what works. They don’t release vaccines if the side effect profile would be worse than the net benefits as far as they know. They don’t have any payoff to lie to you.

    3. If you are a healthcare worker, you know there are other issues than smoking. Asthma, preemies with BPD, other respiratory and immune disorders. There are a lot of issues that can cause complications with the flu. Yes, smokers are at greater risk.

  36. I see a lot of sleepers and sheep posting negative comments regarding this article. They believe whatever the government tells them to believe and are happy as long as they get to go to work, go home and watch TV, and sleep, and sleep, and sleep. They all suggest or demand that you post research and do everything for them. They refuse to learn anything on their own, and expect others to do it for them. Do some independent researching about independent researchers, not connected with the government or huge corporations. You’ll find that those who attempt to provide proof of the harm things like shots are causing are often quickly subdued and often disbanded from the medical and scientific communities, or some highly paid puppet discredits them as quacks. Is this because their information is faulty? I like to point to Dr. Burzynski, who found a cure for some forms of childhood brain cancers. Because his process cured cancers of the brain, the machine shut him down. Cancer is a business. Shots are a big business, as well. And for the poster who claimed that Australia didn’t ban shots, do some research. When you fail to do research on your own time, but demand it of another individual, you discredit any statements you make beyond that. (I found hundreds of articles simply by using Google). For example, http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/australia-bans-flu-vaccine-child-in-coma-others-hospitalised/ . I could rant for ages regarding the “well the government says it’s good for me” people, but I have to go now and tell the people in lines for their flu shots some truth.

    1. Must be comforting for you to think of all of us as sheep. It is so ironic to me as someone with scientific training and research experience. To me, you and others who believe most of what she posted, do not know what you do not know. You are making conclusions based on the information you have. The conclusions seem valid because they would be, would be if the data was complete and correct. But it isn’t.

      You accuse us for trusting unquestioningly but most of the people posting pro-vaccine opinions, to my pleasant surprise, seem to be well informed. They clearly know their scientific facts. Look, people with a scientific bent are the most curious people in the world. We are questioners. We don’t trust things of face value and we search out the facts.

      I swear on my life that you don’t know what you don’t know. If you were to find legitimate sources and learned what I know, I trust you would see it as I do or in a modified way.

      You are not acting like sheep either. But the irony is about accusing the questioners of being sheep-ish. Perhaps some who get vaccines, even many, are passive and uninformed. But clearly not the posters here. It almost seems like you are being smug and self satisfied. I think if you knew what I know you would be ashamed of your deductions and with agreeing with what she posted. This is an influential blog and generally the writer is someone who cares about people’s health and seems trustworthy in the arena of evaluating food companies and their motives. The CDC is differently motivated (not for profit, closely oversees vaccine production, and not tied in any way to Big Pharma), charged with protecting the public health. She has it wrong and is spreading to impressionable people (ie “the sheep) misinformation that could do great harm.
      Wish you knew what I knew.

  37. Who is the famous immunologist and geneticist that you reference in this post? I’d like to give my friends information, but a personal blog post isn’t as reliable a source as a scientist. 🙂

    1. In general, adding citations to this post would help people to do their own research!

    1. you either are being misleading or don’t know what you don’t know. Elder’s immune systems aren’t as strong as other people’s. They do not mount a strong immune response. For example, an elder could be quite ill and not have a fever (which is an immune reaction).
      It has been known for decades that elders don’t usually mount a big immune response to vaccines. Since the normal flu kills elders at a much higher rate than other people, I suspect that they think that getting some immunity, even 10 or 20 percent is better than none. Statistically it is. I think the flu kills like 20k elders a year, many in nursing homes. So as you can see those who the vaccine would work on and save that might have died are in the 100s or 1000s.

  38. Have you actually had proper flu? The actual virus.?My whole family has just had it. We’ve had four weeks of sickness as it hit us. My husband had to take a week off when he was ill, then work at home for a week because he wasn’t able to cycle to work due to the chest infection he contracted as a result of the flu. I had to take a week off work to look after my kids, (one of whom also needed medications for a chest infection as a side effect of the flu) the other missed a week of school, I have now been sick myself for over a week and have bronchitis and an ear infection, BECAUSE of the flu. A month, 6 trips to the doctor, several prescriptions, time off work and school, a run to the ER and a lot of money spent on over the counter relief like ant pyretics, etc. I literally haven’t been able to get out of bed until today. Flu is horrible, and whilst I’m glad none of us ended up sicker, you can bet your life we are all getting the vaccine. If I can prevent us having this or at least this badly, I will do what I can. Flu is not “mild” and it is not something to mess about with. I bet if you had actually had flu, you’d be thinking differently.

  39. I love your blog. It’s crazy reading through some of these comments. The rude things people say when they feel threatened eh? I believe you 100% and you are telling the truth. Have you read the Conscious Health by Ron Garner? He mentions everything that you talk about, whats in vaccines, how they cause more harm then good and how vaccines lead to SIDS.

    Growing up I always thought it was so weird when my friends didn’t get their vaccines in school. I thought their parents were doing a bad job, but in reality it was vise versa. How can you inject yourself and your family with chemicals, dead cells and chicken egg embro garbage? Makes me sick to think about it.

    When public health callled my house to make an appt to get my daughter’s shots done I told that they I had done my research and that I had decided I was not going to get my daughter’s shots done. They said that I should speak to a nurse about my decision…like it was the wrong one or something…(I would have LOVED to tell them what was on my mind but I didn’t want to waste my time. They are too brainwashed anyway.)

    You can even google the vaccine and find all the ingredients in them.

    Again with the polio vaccine…it did more harm then good. More people died from it then the actual disease itself. The polio rate decreased before the vaccine was introduced. (1923-1953) In 1973-1983 87% of polio cases were caused by the vaccine.

    1. Your comments about the the polio vaccine are horribly wrong. You are ignorant and misinformed. Obviously, you are too young to have been around when the disease was common. I was in the generation of young children first given vaccines, and I remember seeing people suffering the effect s of that horrible disease. Get some real education instead of reading some bimbo’s blog! Polio may have been eradicated in the US, but it still exists. Ignorant people who avoid immunizations will ensure that these diseases will make a comeback!

    1. flu mist is different in how it is made even though it is made against the same strains in a given year. For one thing it is live vaccine…ie live virus that has been made weaker somehow. Regular shot is just an immune activating snippet of the virus.
      You have to be under 50 with normal immune system to get the live vaccine as an adult. There are benefits and drawbacks…you can google as easy as I can.

  40. While I agree that the flu shot is pointless, your argument about why do u need it every year if it’s a vaccine is full if holes that u shot into it yourself. U need a vaccine every year because it mutates every year. Similar to the common cold which u can’t fully immunize yourself to by exposure because it is never the same thing twice.

    This is also the same reason why your suggestion of taking vitamin d and exposing yourself to the flu is asinine. Congrats, u probably won’t get the flu again……that flu season.

    I’ll never take the vaccine myself because my supremely healthy mother took it and suffered a stroke very soon after and her blood pressure was extremely high when at her regular check up it was fine pre-vaccine. No one ever would go on record that they thought it was the vaccine, no one would rule it out either. Bottom line, the risks outweigh the rewards 10 fold.

    1. You know what, that reminds me. There is very little evidence, if any, reported about people getting seriously ill and/or dying from vaccines. Lots of time, the information is not reported, and if it is, it seems to be ignored.

      I got the meningitis vaccine about 4 years ago because it was mandatory before getting a surgery I had. I had a horrible and rare reaction at the site of the injection. I had to go back to the doctor for drugs to minimize the pain and to be sure it was nothing super serious (it eventually went away after 2 weeks). But even so, I don’t know if the doctor had a duty to report my side effects or not, and if they did, rare reactions are almost never reported so the general public is aware. I’ve read up on “commonly rare” reactions to it, but mine didn’t fit the criteria as “commonly rare.” So, the same could be said for other vaccines, including the flu, and how there’s actually a lot we don’t read/hear about it. Which is why, regardless of how people like to disclaim anecdotal evidence, sometimes, it is some of the more useful evidence around. It would become real evidence in studies if the people in control of writing such studies, would actually give a crap. But they don’t, because we’re the “rare” ones that don’t matter. :-/

  41. Hi, can you please provide citations for your references? I’m a PhD student conducting research on this topic. It would be helpful to access this information. I’m interested in the “famous immunologist & geneticist” who completed “studies and research that shows that in every five flu shots a person receives over a ten year period they increase their risk of Alzheimer’s disease by ten times!” I’m also interested in the other statistics you provided. I’m an RN and I receive the flu shot myself. I also encourage my patients to receive it, based on public health guidelines. I would like to discover the “truth” about vaccines, so we share this in common. I would also like to debunk some of the myths surrounding vaccines, so maybe you can help. Thank you for providing credible sources of information and citing your references, since I can’t seem to locate any of these statistics myself.

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