Avoid Flu Shots With the One Vitamin that Will Stop Flu in Its Tracks + Video

[Guest guest]

 

---

Avoid Flu Shots With the One Vitamin that Will Stop Flu in Its Tracks

by Dr Mercola, M.D.

 

_http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/21/avoid-flu-shots

-vitamin-d-is-a-better-way.aspx_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/21/avoid-flu-shots-v\

itamin-d-is-a-better-way.aspx)

 

[video here ]

 

 

 

Another influenza season is beginning, and the U.S. Center for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC) will strongly urge Americans to get a flu shot. In

fact, the CDC mounts a well-orchestrated campaign each season to generate

interest and demand for flu shots.

But a recent study published in the October issue of the Archives of

Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against

the

flu appeared to have no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor

visits during two recent flu seasons.

 

At first glance, the data did suggest that children between the ages of 6

months and 5 years derived some protection from vaccination in these years. But

after adjusting for potentially relevant variables, the researchers

concluded that " significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be

demonstrated for any season, age, or setting " examined.

Additionally, a Group Health study found that flu shots do not protect

elderly people against developing pneumonia -- the primary cause of death

resulting as a complication of the flu. Others have questioned whether there is

any

mortality benefit with influenza vaccination. Vaccination coverage among the

elderly increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now, but there has

been no decrease in deaths from influenza or pneumonia.

There is some evidence that flu shots cause Alzheimer’s disease, most likely

as a result of combining mercury with aluminum and formaldehyde. Mercury in

vaccines has also been implicated as a cause of autism.

Three other serious adverse reactions to the flu vaccine are joint

inflammation and arthritis, anaphylactic shock (and other life-threatening

allergic

reactions), and Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralytic autoimmune disease.

One credible hypothesis that explains the seasonal nature of flu is that

influenza is a vitamin D deficiency disease.

 

Vitamin D levels in your blood fall to their lowest point during flu

seasons. Unable to be protected by the body’s own antibiotics (antimicrobial

peptides) that are released by vitamin D, a person with a low vitamin D blood

level

is more vulnerable to contracting colds, influenza, and other respiratory

infections.

Studies show that children with rickets, a vitamin D-deficient skeletal

disorder, suffer from frequent respiratory infections, and children exposed to

sunlight are less likely to get a cold. The increased number of deaths that

occur in winter, largely from pneumonia and cardiovascular diseases, are most

likely due to vitamin D deficiency.

 

Unfortunately, now, for the first time, flu vaccination is also being pushed

for virtually all children -- not just those under 5.

This is a huge change. Previously, flu vaccine was recommended only for

youngsters under 5, who can become dangerously ill from influenza. This year,

the

government is recommending that children from age 6 months to 18 years be

vaccinated, expanding inoculations to 30 million more school-age children.

The government argues that while older children seldom get as sick as the

younger ones, it's a bigger population that catches flu at higher rates, so the

change should cut missed school, and parents' missed work when they catch

the illness from their children.

Of course, this policy ignores the fact that a systematic review of 51

studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months found no evidence that

the

flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo.

 

Sources:

* _LewRockwell.com October 3, 2008_

(http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller27.html)

* _EMS Responder September 9, 2008_

(http://www.emsresponder.com/web/online/Top-EMS-News/More-Flu-Vaccine-Aimed-at-K\

ey-Spreaders--Kids/1$8190)

* _WebMD October 6, 2008_

(http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20081006/flu-shots-not-so-helpful-for-ki\

ds?ecd=wnl_nrn_101508)

* _Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine October 2008;

162(10):943-51_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?orig_db=PubMed & db=pubmed & cmd=Search & te\

rm= " Archives%20of%20pediatrics%20 & %20adolescent%20medicine " [Jour]%2

0AND%202008/10[pdat]%20AND%20Szilagyi[author])

 

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

 

Back in 2005, The Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

(ACIP) recommended that all children between 6 months and 5 years old receive

flu

shots each year. Now they have expanded their guidelines to include children

up to 18 years, which means everyone except those between the ages of 19-49,

who are in good health, are urged to get a flu shot.

It should come as no surprise to find out that a majority of the ACIP

members who came up with these guidelines have financial ties to the vaccine

industry, and stand to gain personally for every additional person getting a

yearly

injection. It’s actually the only explanation that makes any sense for

recommendations as insane as these.

Three Reasons to Reconsider Flu Shots

There are three major reasons why this government push to vaccinate 84 per

cent of the U.S. population with a yearly flu vaccine is so incomprehensible:

1. The majority of _flu shots contain 25 micrograms of mercury_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/03/15/why-do-drugmakers\

-still-defe

nd-the-use-of-mercury-in-their-vaccines.aspx) ; an amount considered unsafe

for anyone weighing less than 550 pounds! And which groups are most sensitive

to the _neurological damage that has been associated with mercury_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2006/11/07/the-fdas-latest-h\

ealth-ha

rming-stance-on-mercury-part-two.aspx) ? Infants, children, and the elderly.

 

2. _No studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related

deaths among the elderly_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/09/controversial-fin\

dings-about-flu-vaccines-for-the-elderly.aspx) ,

yet this is one of the key groups to which they’re pushed.

 

3. If you get a flu shot, you can still get the flu (or flu-like symptoms).

This is because it only protects against certain strains, and it’s anyone’s

guess which flu viruses will be in your area.

So why would you take a flu shot – EVERY YEAR -- that has NEVER been proven

to be effective, that can give you the very illness you’re trying to prevent,

and has potential long-term side effects that are far worse than the flu

itself?

The powers that be have done an excellent job of instilling fear into the

population so they believe that they must get a shot to stay healthy, but the

simple reality is it’s doing you more harm than good.

And, even if the flu vaccine could effectively prevent the flu, there have

been several examples in past years where government health officials have

chosen the incorrect influenza strains for that year’s vaccine. In 2004, the

_National Vaccine Information Center_ (http://www.nvic.org/) described how CDC

officials told everyone to line up for _a flu shot that didn't even contain

the influenza strain causing most of the flu that year_

(http://www.nvic.org/History/Newsletters/%203770Reaction.pdf) .

Two-Thirds of This Year’s Flu Vaccines Contain a Full-Dose of Mercury

According to Dr. Donald Miller, MD, two-thirds of this year’s _flu vaccines

contain 25 micrograms of thimerosal_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/03/15/why-do-drugmakers\

-still-defend-the-use-of-mercury-in-thei

r-vaccines.aspx) . Thimerosal is 49 percent mercury by weight.

Each dose of these flu vaccines contains more than 250 times the

Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit for mercury.

By now, most people are well aware that children and fetuses are most at

risk of damage from this neurotoxin, as their brains are still developing. Yet

the CDC still recommends that children over 6 months, and pregnant women,

receive the flu vaccine each year.

In addition to mercury, flu vaccines also contain other toxic or hazardous

ingredients like:

* Formaldehyde -- a known cancer-causing agent

* Aluminum -- a neurotoxin that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease

 

* Triton X-100 -- a detergent

* Phenol (carbolic acid)

* Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)

* Various antibiotics: neomycin, streptomycin, gentamicin – which can

cause allergic reactions in some people

The Evidence Against Flu Vaccines

For those of you who are still unconvinced, know that there’s plenty of

scientific evidence available to back up the recommendation to avoid flu

vaccines

– if nothing else, then for the simple reason that they don’t work, and

don’

t offer any real benefit to offset their inherent health risks. For example:

* A brand new study published in the October issue of the _Archives of

Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine _

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?orig_db=PubMed & db=pubmed & cmd=Search & te\

rm= " Archives%20of%20pediatrics%20 & %20adole

scent%20medicine " [Jour]%20AND%202008/10[pdat]%20AND%20Szilagyi[author]) found

that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on

flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons.

The

researchers concluded that " significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could

not

be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting " examined.

 

* A study published in the _Lancet_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?orig_db=PubMed & db=pubmed & cmd=Search & te\

rm= " Lancet " [Jour]%20AND%20398[page

]%20AND%202008[pdat]) just two months ago found that influenza vaccination

was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. This

supports a study done five years ago, published in _The New England Journal of

Medicine_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/17/pneumonia-vaccine\

-part-two.aspx) .

 

* Research published in the _American Journal of Respiratory and

Critical Care Medicine_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?orig_db=PubMed & db=pubmed & cmd=Search & te\

rm=American%20journal%20of%20respiratory%20and%20critical%

20care%20medicine[Jour]%20AND%20527

 

---

%20AND%202008[pdat]) last month

also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and

pneumonia, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has

increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.

 

* Last year, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and

Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this

conclusion in the _Lancet Infectious Diseases_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?orig_db=PubMed & db=pubmed & cmd=Search & te\

rm= " The%20Lancet%20infectious%20di

seases " [Jour]%20AND%20658

 

---

%20AND%202007[pdat]) : “We conclude that

frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause

mortality have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits.â€

 

* A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the

_Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16437500) in 2006, found no evidence that

the flu vaccine is any more

effective than a placebo in children. The studies involved 260,000 children,

age 6 to

23 months.

Might Influenza be Little More Than a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin,†may very well be _one of the most

beneficial vitamins there is for disease prevention_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/03/sunshine-is-natur\

e-s-disease-fighter.aspx) .

Unfortunately it’s also one of the vitamins that a vast majority of people

across the world are deficient in due to lack of regular exposure to sunshine.

Published in the journal _Epidemiology and Infection_

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?orig_db=PubMed & db=pubmed & cmd=Search & te\

rm=Epidemiology%20and

%20infection[Jour]%20AND%201129

 

---

%20AND%202006[pdat]) in 2006, the

hypothesis presented by Dr. John Cannell and colleagues in the paper _Epidemic

Influenza and Vitamin D_ (http://www.whale.to/a/cannell.html) actually makes a

lot of sense.

They raise the possibility that influenza is a symptom of vitamin D

deficiency!

The vitamin D formed when your skin is exposed to sunlight regulates the

expression of more than 2,000 genes throughout your body, including ones that

influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. Hence,

being overwhelmed by the “flu bug†could signal that your vitamin D levels

are too low, allowing the flu virus to overtake your immune system.

How to Prepare For Flu Season Without Getting a Flu Shot

I often find that some of the simplest explanations are the truest, and this

sounds about as simple as it gets. And, getting appropriate amounts of

sunshine (or taking a vitamin D supplement when you can’t get healthy amounts

of

sun exposure) is one of my KEY preventive strategies against the cold and flu,

as it has such a strengthening effect on your immune system.

Interestingly, last week the _American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its

recommended dose of vitamin D_

(http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/10/13/vitamin-d-supplem\

entation-guidelines-for.html) . Unfortunately

this is still a woefully inadequate recommendation as the dose should be TEN

times larger. Rather than going from 200 to 400 units per day, it should have

increased to about 2,000 units per day.

For most of you reading this it is “vitamin D winter,†which means there

simply isn’t enough sunshine to make significant amounts of vitamin D, so you

will need to use a tanning bed or take oral supplements.

Although supplements are clearly inferior to sunlight or safe tanning beds,

I am becoming more convinced of the value of vitamin D supplements as they

are less potentially toxic than my initial impression, and they are certainly

more convenient and less expensive than a tanning bed.

For those in the winter with no or very limited exposure to sunshine,

4,000-5,000 units per day would seem appropriate for most adults. If you are

very

heavy you may need to double that dose, and for children the dose can be half

that.

The key though is to make sure you monitor your vitamin D levels by blood

testing, to make sure your levels are therapeutic and not toxic.

I advocate getting your vitamin D levels tested regularly, but as I reported

recently, you now need to beware of where you’re getting your test done. For

an in-depth explanation of what you MUST know before you get tested, please

read my updated article _Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/02/23/vitamin-d-defici

ency-part-one.aspx) .

You can also use vitamin D therapeutically to TREAT the flu. But please

understand that if you are taking the above doses of vitamin D the odds of you

getting the flu are VERY remote. The dose of vitamin D you can use would be

2,000 units per kilogram of body weight (one pound is 0.45 kg). The dose would

be taken once a day for three days.

This could be a very large dose if you were very heavy (2-300,000 units per

day) This is the dose that Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D

Council, has been using very successfully for a number of years.

I have not received a flu shot nor had the flu in over 20 years. Here are

the other “secrets†I use to keep the flu (and other illnesses) at bay:

* Eat right for your _nutritional type_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/02/26/metabolic-typing-\

part-three.aspx) , including

avoiding sugar

* _Eliminate sugar_ (http://www.mercola.com/article/insulin.htm) from

your diet

* Eat _garlic_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/02/28/garlic-health.asp\

x) regularly

* Consume a _high-quality krill oil_

(http://products.mercola.com/krill/) daily

* _Exercise_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/10/30/flu-vaccine-part-\

eleven.aspx)

* Get adequate _sleep_ (http://www.mercola.com/article/sleep.htm)

* _Address emotional stress_ (http://www

..mercola.com/forms/eftcourse1.htm)

* _Wash your hands regularly_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/09/25/flu-hygiene.aspx)

(but not excessively)

Another useful supplement you could try, should you come down with a case of

the flu, is olive leaf extract, which you can find in most any health food

store.

_Olive leaf extract has been found to be a potent broad-spectrum antiviral

agent_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/25/olive-leaf-extrac\

t-lowers-blood-pressure.aspx) , active against all viruses tested,

including numerous strains of influenza and para-influenza viruses.

 

Related Articles:

 

_Risks of FluMist Vaccine_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/10/04/flumist-vaccine.a\

spx)

 

_Improperly Made Flu Vaccine Given to Millions of Americans_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/26/flu-vaccine-part-\

twelve.aspx)

 

_Flu Shot Facts -- Battling Influenza_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/23/flu-shot-facts-ba\

ttling-influenza.aspx)