by Andrea Candee, MH, MSC

How do I get my family through the winter?

Kick the habit? Or should I take the flu vaccine again? If they said 'go jump off the Brooklyn Bridge', would you do it? That's what my grandfather used to say to me to encourage me to be an independent thinker.

My mother says to consider what you are putting into your body because once in, it's done its good…or damage.

How many people line up for flu shots each year because they were told to do so without giving much thought to what is in those injections or their rate of success…or potential for damage?

My grandmother, while in her sixties, received a flu shot, contracted the Asian flu which was prevalent that year but not covered by the flu vaccine, suffered a mini-stroke as a result, which led to her steady decline until her passing.
As you can imagine, I'm not a big fan of flu shots except for frail people living in healthcare facilities, where some protection is better than none at all. It is not my place to tell you what to do, but as a holistic health educator and master herbalist, it is my passion to share with you what I have learned so you can make your own educated decisions. 

Is it the 'flu'?

What we often experience in winter as coughs, head congestion and fever, may or may not be the flu. Oftentimes it is an upper respiratory infection (URI) but not influenza. Usually high fever, intense body aches, and malaise accompany influenza. Flu vaccines are not designed to address URIs. Pneumonias can be serious, but again, they are not influenza. Influenza is a virus and viruses are not affected by antibiotics. Often antibiotics are given when one has the flu to prevent bacterial complications, especially in those with compromised lung function (asthmatics, for example, and those prone to pneumonia). 

Tarnished Studies

While previous studies thought flu vaccines cut the risk of dying in the elderly by 50%, the reality is more like 5-10%. Research shows that while triple the people received annual flu shots between 1980-2001, there was no corresponding drop in the death rate.

Frequently resourced studies indicating reduced hospitalizations and pneumonia less likely due to flu vaccines have been found to be flawed. For people over the age of 65 living in nursing homes, the vaccine was often protective against complications of the flu, such as pneumonia. However, for those over 65 living on their own, the protective effects were negligible. 
Children under the age of 2 receive no more benefit from the vaccine than a placebo. I consider this recommendation questionable, since it is not based upon years of study in infants and toddlers. There are no long-term studies of the safety of flu vaccines over time. 

The Educated Guess

Healthy young adults received benefit when the flu vaccine exactly matched current strains. But because the flu vaccines are made well in advance of the winter season, only educated guesses can be made as to what strains will be around and often it turns out that important strains are missed and all those vaccinated received little or no protection for that season. 

There are hundreds of strains of influenza (the viruses are clever at mutating) but only three strains of influenza are contained in the flu vaccine each year. Oh, well? This is science? Overall, flu shots in healthy young adults lowered the number of work days missed by less than a day.

A 2008 study reported in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, sheds new light. The study called into question much of the statistical evidence for the vaccine's benefits, finding that over the course of three flu seasons, flu shots did not reduce occurrences of pneumonia in people aged 65-94. In fact, incidents were higher in those vaccinated. They concluded that either influenza is not a primary cause of pneumonia or the vaccine is ineffective. 

If you're healthy…get a flu shot?

As for the phenomenon linking lowered chance of getting pneumonia after having had a flu shot, after thorough analysis the researchers concluded that those who were healthier and more conscientious about staying well were more likely to get an annual flu vaccine (and, therefore, due to their better levels of health, less likely to develop pneumonia anyway). Those who are in frail health (diminished lung function, inability to take care of themselves) and unable to get to the doctor's office for the flu shot, may well be more susceptible to begin with. The amount and type of medications taken may also predispose one to influenza by compromising the immune system. 

The Aging Immune System 

Vaccines use the immune system to recognize and attack invading pathogens. Studies show that the elderly need four times the amount of antigens given in a standard dose of the flu vaccine to achieve immune response, as given to healthy adults under the age of 40. 

As we age, our immune function diminishes compared with children and younger adults. The very system the vaccine needs to properly function is already compromised in the elderly. Study of previous data reveals that statistics for healthy vs frail subjects and flu vaccine effectiveness were not measured and most likely skewed the results made popular to the public. The study supports the growing number of immunologists and epidemiologists who say the vaccine doesn't work so well in people over 70, the group that has the highest number of deaths from flu. 

What is for certain is that flu vaccines have only been put through one large study comparing them to placebo, the gold standard for medical evidence. If that base of evidence was not valid, then we have been following inaccurate advice.

Safe for my family?

You may stand in the grocery aisle spending lots of time reading the long list of ingredients on cereal boxes and frozen meals. How much time have you spent reading the list of ingredients in the flu vaccines? Has your medical team offered the ingredients for your review? Or do we accept everything we are told on blind faith? What we often forget is that everything we are told by our medical support is based upon what they are told to be true. What if they have been unknowingly using inaccurate studies upon which to base their opinions? 
According to the Cochrane Collaboration, a well-respected non-profit organization that reviews medical therapies, the safety of inactivated vaccines in children under the age of 2 was studied only once, 35 years ago, with just 35 children and found to be no better than a placebo. 

They further found that healthy people under the age of 65 did not receive benefits from the vaccination such as decreased hospital stay, less time off work, or fewer deaths from influenza and its complications.

Knowledge Makes For an Informed Decision

Flu vaccines contain: 

*inactivated (killed) influenza viruses prepared from the embryonic fluid of the chick eggs in which they are grown (people with egg allergy must avoid flu vaccinations)

* antibiotics such as Neomycin and Streptomycin (be aware of allergies to antibiotics)

* preservatives such as formaldehyde, a known carcinogen; chemical disinfectants; Thimerosal, a mercury derivative thought to affect the central nervous system; aluminum (added to promote antibody response); ethylene glycol (anti-freeze) 

The internet is filled with anecdotal material about serious complications due to flu vaccines. Are the neurological symptoms, mini-strokes, skin rashes, etc really due to the flu vaccines? There is no ' proof' just as there is no 'proof' for the damage done to some children as a result of childhood immunizations. The connections are there in the mind of the one who suffers and their family. Perhaps it was the flu vaccine or perhaps an unknown compromise that already existed which was exacerbated by the flu vaccine. No one knows for sure. 

In the end, the decision is yours. If you choose to vaccinate, for certain, make sure you are in good health when you get the shot. You want your immune system in its best possible condition to take on what the injection will introduce into your body. If you are not feeling well on the day you are scheduled for the vaccine, consider re-scheduling your appointment. Discuss your options with your physician and take charge of your wellness because you educated yourself not because 'they said'. 

How to Protect Yourself

The price of independent thinking is the responsibility to protect yourself and your family. 

Homeopathic Protection for Vaccinations

To help offset some of the possible negative side effects on the immune system, you can give homeopathic Thuja 30C (30C is the potency)
(One dose = 2 pellets dissolved in mouth or dissolved in a little water and then put in mouth. Must be taken 15 minutes away from food.)

Five doses are given:

One dose the evening before the shot

One dose on the morning of the shot

One dose following the shot in the afternoon or evening of the same day

One dose on the morning after the day of the shot

And one more dose that evening

Thuja is a homeopathic remedy usually found in health food stores. Otherwise it can be ordered from 1 800 BLU TUBE.

I've never taken a flu vaccine because: 
    
(a) it's not guaranteed to prevent me from getting the flu (because the flu vaccine is made long before the actual flu strain of the season is even known) and 
    
(b) the flu vaccine is prepared in a base of substances I'd rather not take into my body and have challenge my immune system.

So what do I do? 

I prepare for the season with what I call my Cold and Flu Arsenal. It will help to keep your immune system engaged preventatively and give you tools to utilize at the first sign that 'something's coming.' 

My 'cold and flu arsenal' is available in my 28 page booklet, "How Do I Get My Family Through the Winter? Herbs, Recipes and Guidance for Winter Wellness." The information helps you take charge of your family's wellness with safe, simple-to-follow recipes and techniques and easily-obtained formulas. It's a wonderful reference, making you feel empowered by knowing what to do to protect yourself and your family. 

To order, contact Andrea at AndreaCandee.com or 877 856 7680. The booklet is $7 + $1 s/h.