Why You MAY NOT Want To Get A Flu Shot

[B767drvr]

For what it's worth, here's an excerpt from a doctor that advises AGAINST getting the flu shot:


>>
Additionally, no studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related deaths among the elderly, even though this is one of the key groups to which they’re pushed.

Even if the flu vaccine did work, you should know that it is simply an educated guessing game as to whether or not this year’s vaccine will protect against the strains in your area. You see, because the flu virus mutates so rapidly, the vaccine must be updated every year to include the new, most common strains. Yet, sometimes scientists are way off.

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 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.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states:

“In some years when vaccine and circulating strains were not well-matched, no vaccine effectiveness can be demonstrated in some studies, even in healthy adults. It is not possible in advance of the influenza season to predict how well the vaccine and circulating strains will be matched, and how that match may affect the degree of vaccine effectiveness.”

So let’s sum things up. When you get the flu shot, it may or may not protect you against the flu. Further, recent studies suggest the shot is largely ineffective for two of the key populations to which it’s pushed: children and the elderly.

What you CAN be sure of when you get the flu shot is that you’ll be injected with a laundry list of hazardous ingredients, which are included as additives to the vaccines.

Flu Shot Additives are Well-Known Toxins

Two-thirds of the vaccines made for the 2008–09 flu season contain full-dose thimerosal, which is 49% mercury by weight, according to Dr. Miller. Mercury is a neurotoxin, with a toxicity level 1,000 times that of lead.

Still, each flu shot contains 25 micrograms of mercury, which amounts to a mercury content of 50,000 part per billion -- 250 times more than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit.

And that’s not all. Dr. Miller points out the other substances in flu shots, all of which are known to be harmful to health, especially for children:

• Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent is used to inactivate the virus.
• Aluminum, added to promote an antibody response, is a neurotoxin that may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Triton X-100 (a detergent)
• Polysorbate 80

• Carbolic acid
• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
• Gelatin
• Various antibiotics such as neomycin, streptomycin, and gentamicin that can cause allergic reactions
<<

Prominent Physician Advises Against Flu Shots (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/09/prominent-physician-advises-against-flu-shots.aspx)

[Bubble Gum]

You sat there and wrote down all that information during a visit to your doctor??? No! You took it from an ad from a natural health website. I don't know where you got the rest of it, but I (personally) don't' believe most of it. It sounds like a lot of hype to me.

It is a known fact that adults over the age of 65 in particular, should always get a flu shot. It is also a known fact that the vaccine each is a guess predicated on previous years' flus, but generally speaking, a pretty good guess. In addition, each year you get a shot, you are further building up a resistance for following years, not just for the year in which you get the shot.

Anyone who thinks they may not come down with the flu is foolish. Anyone can contract the flu. My opinion also, is that anyone who doesn't get a shot, particularly a senior adult, is also foolish. At our age if we come down with the flu it can easily turn into pneumonia and then guess what? You might die!

[Bonanza]

I clicked and skimmed over the the site the OP was (partially?) quoting. This Dr. Miller is a cardiac surgeon. I would rather trust information concerning flu shots from an Internist, not a cardiac surgeon.

I've already had my flu shot this year and will continue to get it every year. I don't think much of the article or what the OP has posted, regardless of where the information came from. Bah Humbug!

[CFrance]

I had the flu once, in the spring of 1995. To this day I still remember how deathly ill I was and how long it took to fully recover. It took over a month.

I'll take my chances with the flu shot.

[graciegirl]

Joseph Mercola - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola)

[redwitch]

I can't take the flu shot due to an allergy. I truly wish I could. I'm one of the lucky ones who rarely gets the flu but when I do, I'm down and out and it takes forever to recover. So, put me down as one of those who thinks you're foolish to not get the shot if you can.

[graciegirl]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[rubicon]

I suppose it all goes back to a person;s tolerance. I developed the Hong Kong flu in 1969 and believed I was on my death bed. so when the flu shot became available I lined up.

However two seasons ago I went with the senior super dose and ended up in the ER. the nurse told me I was not the only one who had a severe reaction. Last year I went back to the regular dose and found discomfort for the remainder of the day. On the other hand my wife continues with the super dose unaffected.

We had ask about re-doing the pneumonia shot and were told it was no longer recommended for people over 65? I just recently read an article wherein it was recommended that people 65+ get their pneumonia shot and followed by a booster. I wish the medical community would get its act together

[BarryRX]

For what it's worth, here's an excerpt from a doctor that advises AGAINST getting the flu shot:


>>
Additionally, no studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related deaths among the elderly, even though this is one of the key groups to which they’re pushed.

Even if the flu vaccine did work, you should know that it is simply an educated guessing game as to whether or not this year’s vaccine will protect against the strains in your area. You see, because the flu virus mutates so rapidly, the vaccine must be updated every year to include the new, most common strains. Yet, sometimes scientists are way off.

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 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.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states:

“In some years when vaccine and circulating strains were not well-matched, no vaccine effectiveness can be demonstrated in some studies, even in healthy adults. It is not possible in advance of the influenza season to predict how well the vaccine and circulating strains will be matched, and how that match may affect the degree of vaccine effectiveness.”

So let’s sum things up. When you get the flu shot, it may or may not protect you against the flu. Further, recent studies suggest the shot is largely ineffective for two of the key populations to which it’s pushed: children and the elderly.

What you CAN be sure of when you get the flu shot is that you’ll be injected with a laundry list of hazardous ingredients, which are included as additives to the vaccines.

Flu Shot Additives are Well-Known Toxins

Two-thirds of the vaccines made for the 2008–09 flu season contain full-dose thimerosal, which is 49% mercury by weight, according to Dr. Miller. Mercury is a neurotoxin, with a toxicity level 1,000 times that of lead.

Still, each flu shot contains 25 micrograms of mercury, which amounts to a mercury content of 50,000 part per billion -- 250 times more than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit.

And that’s not all. Dr. Miller points out the other substances in flu shots, all of which are known to be harmful to health, especially for children:

• Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent is used to inactivate the virus.
• Aluminum, added to promote an antibody response, is a neurotoxin that may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Triton X-100 (a detergent)
• Polysorbate 80

• Carbolic acid
• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
• Gelatin
• Various antibiotics such as neomycin, streptomycin, and gentamicin that can cause allergic reactions
<<

Prominent Physician Advises Against Flu Shots (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/09/prominent-physician-advises-against-flu-shots.aspx)

Probably one of the most irresponsible posts I have seen. It comes from a group that is against any type of vaccination. A post like this is so upsetting that I am tempted to urge the poster to follow his own recommendation, but I will not. Please get your flu shot so I can continue to be annoyed by you.

[karostay]

For what it's worth, here's an excerpt from a doctor that advises AGAINST getting the flu shot:


>>
Additionally, no studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related deaths among the elderly, even though this is one of the key groups to which they’re pushed.

Even if the flu vaccine did work, you should know that it is simply an educated guessing game as to whether or not this year’s vaccine will protect against the strains in your area. You see, because the flu virus mutates so rapidly, the vaccine must be updated every year to include the new, most common strains. Yet, sometimes scientists are way off.

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 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.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states:

“In some years when vaccine and circulating strains were not well-matched, no vaccine effectiveness can be demonstrated in some studies, even in healthy adults. It is not possible in advance of the influenza season to predict how well the vaccine and circulating strains will be matched, and how that match may affect the degree of vaccine effectiveness.”

So let’s sum things up. When you get the flu shot, it may or may not protect you against the flu. Further, recent studies suggest the shot is largely ineffective for two of the key populations to which it’s pushed: children and the elderly.

What you CAN be sure of when you get the flu shot is that you’ll be injected with a laundry list of hazardous ingredients, which are included as additives to the vaccines.

Flu Shot Additives are Well-Known Toxins

Two-thirds of the vaccines made for the 2008–09 flu season contain full-dose thimerosal, which is 49% mercury by weight, according to Dr. Miller. Mercury is a neurotoxin, with a toxicity level 1,000 times that of lead.

Still, each flu shot contains 25 micrograms of mercury, which amounts to a mercury content of 50,000 part per billion -- 250 times more than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limit.

And that’s not all. Dr. Miller points out the other substances in flu shots, all of which are known to be harmful to health, especially for children:

• Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent is used to inactivate the virus.
• Aluminum, added to promote an antibody response, is a neurotoxin that may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.
• Triton X-100 (a detergent)
• Polysorbate 80

• Carbolic acid
• Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
• Gelatin
• Various antibiotics such as neomycin, streptomycin, and gentamicin that can cause allergic reactions
<<

Prominent Physician Advises Against Flu Shots (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/09/prominent-physician-advises-against-flu-shots.aspx)

Less toxins than second hand smoke..I'll take my chances with the Flu Shot

[dbanks50]

Never had one. In 64 years, had a mild dose of the flu once. I'll take my chances. My mom lived to be 88 and never had the shot or the flu.

[asianthree]

Just remember the flu shot is your choice doesn't matter what you read or doesn't matter what you think it's still your choice to go and stick your arm out and let somebody stick a needle in it. I don't understand why people get so upset over articles being processed and or published. I myself have a severe allergy to flu shots. Can't take them. I have severe allergies to a lot of meds. It's a personal choice you get to choose. I have never had the flu and I've not had a flu shot in 13 years. And trust me I am around many many people on a daily basis as the flu. I enjoy reading other peoples opinion as to why they don't like to use medical intervention of drugs. Don't understand why other people get so upset about it it's still their choice.

[kansasr]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that vaccinations prevented 79,000 flu hospitalizations and 6.6 million flu-associated illnesses during the 2012-13 influenza season. Complications from the flu can be serious and result in hospitalization, and even death, for some patients. The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated.

[sunnyatlast]

Just remember the flu shot is your choice doesn't matter what you read or doesn't matter what you think it's still your choice to go and stick your arm out and let somebody stick a needle in it. I don't understand why people get so upset over articles being processed and or published. I myself have a severe allergy to flu shots. Can't take them. I have severe allergies to a lot of meds. It's a personal choice you get to choose. I have never had the flu and I've not had a flu shot in 13 years. And trust me I am around many many people on a daily basis as the flu. I enjoy reading other peoples opinion as to why they don't like to use medical intervention of drugs. Don't understand why other people get so upset about it it's still their choice.

I find among acquaintances who do not vaccinate at all that they look for "experts" whose claims validate their seething hatred of "Big Pharma".

But when they land in the ICU for weeks they're going to wish for antibiotics and steroids and every other drug produced by their hated villain.

[PennBF]

Last year I unfortunately got the flu and it was followed by my wife getting it. It was very uncomfortable and one I don't recommend for others. Went to Dr. who gave me some cough med, etc. A question he asked was: "What will you do next year?" Both my wife and I responded, "Will get shots". Enough said.:cold:

[Chi-Town]

What a journey through posts 1-16. Enough said.

[B767drvr]

>>19) No evidence of protection in people over age 65.(26, 27)

A study published in the Cochrane Systematic Review in 2010 stated that there was no scientific evidence to prove that regular or seasonal flu shots protect people over the age of 65. The study concluded: “Evidence for the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines in the over 65 is poor, despite the fact that vaccination has been recommended for the prevention of influenza in older people for the past 40 years.”

20) The Lancet published a study showing that the flu shot was only 1.2% effective.(28)

A study conducted by The Lancet in 2010 brought out some startling revelations about the effectiveness of flu shots. The study involved a control group of 13,095 adults who were not vaccinated. The group was monitored to see if participants had been infected by the influenza virus, but 97% remained unaffected. Only 2.7% or 357 people in the non-vaccinated group ended up contracting the virus. Of the group of adults who were vaccinated with a trivalent inactivated influenza shot, only 1.2% did not catch the flu. The difference between the two outcomes is that the flu vaccine only prevents the flu in 1.5 out of every 100 adults injected with the flu shot not 60% as you’ve been told.
<<

20 Reasons Why The Flu Shot Is More Dangerous Than The Flu - Wellness Achiever (http://wellnessachiever.net/flu-shot-more-dangerous-than-flu/)

[B767drvr]

I suppose it all goes back to a person;s tolerance. I developed the Hong Kong flu in 1969 and believed I was on my death bed. so when the flu shot became available I lined up.

However two seasons ago I went with the senior super dose and ended up in the ER. the nurse told me I was not the only one who had a severe reaction. Last year I went back to the regular dose and found discomfort for the remainder of the day. On the other hand my wife continues with the super dose unaffected.

We had ask about re-doing the pneumonia shot and were told it was no longer recommended for people over 65? I just recently read an article wherein it was recommended that people 65+ get their pneumonia shot and followed by a booster. I wish the medical community would get its act together


Found this Rubicon… perhaps this is what you're referring to?


>>11) CDC reports even more adverse events with Fluzone High-Dose.(17)

Sanofi Pasteur’s Fluzone High-Dose is a new influenza vaccine created in 2010 for people over 65 years of age. Even though the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) insists that the vaccine is as safe as any other seasonal vaccine, the fact is that the shot is replete with side effects like pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, headache, muscle aches, fever, and malaise. All the listed negative symptoms were observed during clinical studies for Fluzone High-Dose.
<<

20 Reasons Why The Flu Shot Is More Dangerous Than The Flu - Wellness Achiever (http://wellnessachiever.net/flu-shot-more-dangerous-than-flu/)

[DonH57]

I used to have to get one when I was in the service as it was mandatory. I'd get the flu anyway every year, sometimes twice during the winter. I've never gotten a flu shot since and I've never had the flu since.

[B767drvr]

The Flu Shot: Helpful or Harmful

by Mark Hyman, MD



The government says everybody should get the flu shot every year. But does it work? Is it safe? And do we really need it?

One very reliable way to determine the effectiveness of the flu shot is to look at the database analysis presented by The Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group of scientists who have no link to any industry or government agencies. After analyzing all of the data on the flu shot, they have concluded that it really doesn’t work well. It doesn’t even cover most of the influenza infections that people get.

For certain populations, I do think a flu shot is necessary. For people who are debilitated, people with respiratory or developmental problems, and for people who are prone to getting very sick and could die from the flu, I think it’s worth getting the shot. It may not work that well, but it provide some benefit to those populations.

But for anyone else, I don’t think the flu shot is necessary. I know this goes against government recommendations, and I know there’s a lot of controversy about it. But I encourage you to do your own homework. Read the blog that I wrote that extensively documents the science behind why the flu shots don’t work as well as we think they do, and why they might be harmful.

Here’s one dirty little secret about the flu shot: it contains mercury. Most of the flu shots that are administered in the US are from multi-dose vials, which contain multiple flu shots in one little vial. To preserve it, they add mercury or Thimerosal. A cumulative dose of Thimerosal over your lifetime could have a negative impact on your health, because mercury is a known toxin. It causes immune problems and neurologic problems like dementia, memory issues, and other issues. So, if you’re going to get the flu shot, make sure it comes from a single-dose vial, which doesn’t have Thimerosal in it.

Remember:

The flu shot doesn’t work well, and there are many other things you can do to stay healthy.
It may contain mercury, so if you do get the shot, be sure avoid the kind that comes in a multi-dose vial with Thimerosal added.

The Flu Shot: Helpful or Harmful - Dr. Mark Hyman (http://drhyman.com/blog/2013/12/16/flu-shot-helpful-harmful/)

[B767drvr]

There sure are a LOT of articles by medical doctors against the flu vaccine. Here's another excerpt:

>>

Flu Vaccine – Think Again

Dr. R. Neustaedter

The flu vaccine gets the most-useless-vaccine-of-all-time award. Now the CDC is recommending the vaccine for children under two years old and all adults over 50. Don’t fall for it. The following article is from Dr. Randal Neustaedter’s new edition of The Vaccine Guide, North Atlantic Books 800-337-2665

Everyone knows about the flu and the flu vaccine. What people do not know is that flu vaccines are nearly useless in preventing flu, they will cause the flu, and they often result in nervous system damage that can take years for the body to repair. Other nations chuckle at Americans’ infatuation with the flu vaccine. The joke would indeed be funny, if it weren’t for the damaging effects caused by the vaccine

The history of the flu vaccine reads like one stumbling fiasco after another. Take an example. Ever wonder how the particular viruses are chosen for next year’s vaccine? The answer could be drawn from a 1930s film noir of Shanghai villainy. Scientists kill migrating ducks in Asia, culture the viruses and put those in next year’s vaccine, because they have seen an association between bird and pig viruses and the following year’s human flu epidemics. Perhaps this desperate guesswork is responsible for so many years when the flu vaccines viruses had nothing in common with circulating viruses. According to a CDC report of the 1994–1995 flu season, 87 percent of type A influenza virus samples were not similar to the year’s vaccine, and 76 percent of type B virus were not similar to the virus in that year’s vaccine. During the 1992–1993 season, 84 percent of samples for the predominant type A virus were not similar to the virus in the vaccine.
<<


Flu Vaccine - Think Again - Influenza Vaccine (Flu Shot) - Specific Vaccines - About Vaccines - Vaccination Risk Awareness Network (http://vran.org/about-vaccines/specific-vaccines/influenza-vaccine-flu-shot/flu-vaccine-%E2%80%93-think-again/)

[outahere]

I used to have to get one when I was in the service as it was mandatory. I'd get the flu anyway every year, sometimes twice during the winter. I've never gotten a flu shot since and I've never had the flu since.

Similar situation - the last time I got a flu shot I was in the Air Force (late 1970's) and that year I got the flu and was so sick I thought I was going to have to get better to die!

Haven't had the shot since and have no intentions of getting one. It's a personal choice for everyone.

[Bubble Gum]

Joseph Mercola - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola)

Thank you for your post, referencing that site, Gracie.

You confirmed what I already thought, but you went the extra step.

[B767drvr]

Joseph Mercola - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola)

Mercola did not author the article I referenced.

>>Dr. Donald Miller, a cardiac surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington, recommends avoiding the flu shot and taking vitamin D instead. According to Dr. Miller, “Seventy percent of doctors do not get a flu shot.”
<<

[manaboutown]

Mercola did not author the article I referenced.

>>Dr. Donald Miller, a cardiac surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington, recommends avoiding the flu shot and taking vitamin D instead. According to Dr. Miller, “Seventy percent of doctors do not get a flu shot.”
<<

My daughter works for a very large medical group which operates six hospitals. All employees are required to get flu and other shots, physicians included. Since my daughter is allergic to some protein component in the vaccine she goes to an allergy doctor who administers the vaccine to her using several very small shots spaced apart a half hour.

I had the Hong Kong flu. For a time while I had it I could not move my legs. The experience was terrifying. I now get a flu shot every year.

Back in my thirties I was hospitalized with pneumonia over a week and put on five intravenous antibiotics. I do not want to go through that again so I have had pneumonia shots. As previously stated an ounce of prevention...

[Villages PL]

A few years ago I called a government health agency and was told that the mercury in a flu shot is a very small amount, about the same as you would get from eating one small can of tuna per week.

Also, there's more than one type of mercury. The mercury in a flu shot is not the type you would find in a mercury thermometer etc.. The small amount of mercury in a flu shot will be quickly disposed of by natural means that your body employs for disposal of toxins.

I'm not for or against anyone getting a flu shot. I'm just passing along some information about the mercury aspect of it.

I happen to be in very good health so I might decide not to get one this year. I believe I have a strong immune system because I never get colds.

[Bonnevie]

I had the flu once, in the spring of 1995. To this day I still remember how deathly ill I was and how long it took to fully recover. It took over a month.

I'll take my chances with the flu shot.

I also had it once....I remember being so sick I almost couldn't get out of bed to get to phone to call in sick (no cordless phones then). I, too, will never miss a flu shot.

[plugers]

FYI Most doctors and nurses never get the flu shot..It is totally unnecessary..
Eat well, get plenty of sleep and the best advice is to practice good hand washing and stay out of crowds…

[plugers]

FYI Most doctors and nurses never get the flu shot..It is totally unnecessary..
Eat well, get plenty of sleep and the best advice is to practice good hand washing and stay out of crowds…

[billethkid]

methinks the usual problem of a minority issue or count is once again being discussed as a general condition when it is not.

Yes there are SOME who maybe should not or don't want to....so be it.

The other 90%+ of us who have been getting flu shots for too long to remember will continue to do so.

As for the comment "the government wants you to get a flu shot" in my humble opinion does not have a :censored: to do with getting one (or not)!

[patfla06]

I fully understand the many reasons a lot of people pass on the flu shot.

I had the flu in the 90's when my Son was in grade school.
Sick as a dog and in bed for a week!

Have gotten the flu shot every year since.

A few years ago I wasn't going to get it and then read some
alarming statistics on the increased risk of heart attack.
Not willing to "risk" it.

[patfla06]

If you get the flu you DOUBLE your risk for a heart attack or stroke. :22yikes:

[Suzi]

FYI Most doctors and nurses never get the flu shot..It is totally unnecessary..
Eat well, get plenty of sleep and the best advice is to practice good hand washing and stay out of crowds…

It is untrue that doctors and nurses mostly avoid getting the flu vaccine. First, it would be dangerous to care for patients and carry the flu to them. After all, they care for compromised patients. Secondly, who in this day and age can avoid crowds for 6 months. Eating well and plenty of sleep is always good. Hand washing is a very good idea as viruses can remain transmittable on surfaces for a long time. Also, avoid touching your face. If you feel ill (including if you have a sore throat, feel like you are getting a cold, feverish or chilled, achy) please stay home. Don't expose everyone else including children, elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

[Bonanza]

Why do some people love to tout that they have or have had the flu, when in fact, all they had was a cold?
No one gets the flu every year let alone twice in one season.
Most people have never even had it.
When you have the flu, as opposed to a cold, you feel like you're on your death bed and in many clases need to go in the hospital.

A flu shot may not prevent you from getting the flu, but it certainly reduces your chances of having it or having a bad case of it.

You can get a cold time after time after time.
A flu shot will not prevent a cold.

And yes -- getting a flu shot is a choice.
But maybe the choice one makes by not getting the shot is also a choice that you might get the flu, become seriously ill and then die.
Yup. That's definitely a choice!

[B767drvr]

Physicians Oppose Mandatory Flu Vaccine for Health Workers
Dec 15, 2011

In letters to Colorado public health officials, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) opposes a rule requiring workers in health care facilities to have an annual influenza vaccination or lose their jobs…

...
In the age of “evidence-based medicine,” AAPS notes that there is surprisingly little evidence supporting the efficacy of influenza vaccine, and evidence of safety is also limited.

According to a 2006 article in the British Medical Journal by Tom Jefferson Public health: Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1626345/), the coordinator of the vaccines section of the Cochrane Collaboration, safety data are reported in only five randomized studies with 2,963 observations. Many repeated doses of similar vaccines likely increase the risk of allergic reactions, and no data exist on the safety of a large number of doses, states Dr. Orient, citing a 2006 article in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. http://www.jpands.org/vol11no3/geier.pdf

…

AAPS, a national organization of physicians in all specialties, was founded in 1943 to preserve and promote the practice of private medicine and the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship.


http://www.aapsonline.org/index.php/article/physicians_oppose_mandatory_flu_vaccine_for_health _workers/

[B767drvr]

It is untrue that doctors and nurses mostly avoid getting the flu vaccine. First, it would be dangerous to care for patients and carry the flu to them. After all, they care for compromised patients. Secondly, who in this day and age can avoid crowds for 6 months. Eating well and plenty of sleep is always good. Hand washing is a very good idea as viruses can remain transmittable on surfaces for a long time. Also, avoid touching your face. If you feel ill (including if you have a sore throat, feel like you are getting a cold, feverish or chilled, achy) please stay home. Don't expose everyone else including children, elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

>>The Cochrane paper, “Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers who work with the elderly,” found “that vaccinating healthcare workers who look after the elderly in long-term care facilities did not show any effect on the specific outcomes of interest, namely laboratory-proven influenza, pneumonia or deaths from pneumonia.” Thus, even in the most high-risk health care population and scenario, there is NO evidence that influenza vaccination protects patients. In fact, vaccination may actually increase risk because the health care provider, feeling that they are protected by the vaccine, may be less likely to carry out the behaviors that do protect patients.
<<


A physician takes his flu vaccine under protest (http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/11/physician-takes-flu-vaccine-protest.html)

[Bonanza]

All B767drvr seems to be doing is digging on the Internet and quoting those items that serve his own agenda of why not to get a flu shot and other negative things conerning them.

So in his picking and choosing of what he wants to put in print on this thread, he is only giving a one-sided version regarding getting a flu shot. In the interest of fair journalism,, he isn't fair. There are far more favorable indications as to why one should get a flu shot.

For whatever the reason, B767drvr doesn't want his authoritative (cough-cough) research questioned; hence, his one-sided opinion.

Perhaps dealing with a bout of the flu at a personal level will change his thinking. Otherwise, I think not.

[B767drvr]

Another view casting doubt on the effectiveness of the flu shot:

>>Doctors Intrigued and Troubled by Findings

In an accompanying editorial, Drs. John Treanor and Peter Szilagyi wrote a response to the findings for the most recent study showing lower effectiveness with back-to-back flu shots.

“As we are currently struggling through one of the most vigorous influenza seasons in recent memory, the apparent failure of influenza vaccine under optimal conditions seen in this study is indeed troubling,” they wrote. 6

As usual, further study on flu vaccine effectiveness is necessary. There are a lot of conflicting data available. However, the growing number of studies showing low overall effectiveness, waning immunity and a negative effect of prior-year vaccination cast doubt on influenza vaccine policies and strategies, especially when influenza vaccinations now are being required as a condition of employment for health care workers.
…


In 2010, PLoS Medicine published an analysis of Canadian epidemiological studies suggesting that people, who had received seasonal flu shots the year before the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic, had an increased risk of becoming infected with the pandemic swine flu.
<<


Effectiveness of Flu Vaccine Raises More Red Flags (http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/March-2013/effectiveness-of-flu-vaccine-raises-more-red-flags.aspx)

[B767drvr]

All B767drvr seems to be doing is digging on the Internet and quoting those items that serve his own agenda of why not to get a flu shot and other neagative things conerning them.

So in his picking and choosing of what he wants to put in print on this thread, he is only giving a one-sided version regarding getting a flu shot. In the interest of fair journalism,, he isn't fair. There are far more favorable indications as to why one should get a flu shot.

For whatever the reason, B767drvr doesn't want his authoritative (cough-cough) research questioned; hence, his one-sided opinion.

Perhaps dealing with a bout of the flu at a personal level will change his thinking. Otherwise, I think not.

Hi Bonanza,

I'm not a journalist and am merely posting opinions from medical doctors and scientists questioning the efficacy and safety of the much hyped flu shot. This is a discussion board, isn't it? I think people reading this board are quite intelligent and can decide for themselves if the flu shot is something they wish to get.

That's all… no big conspiracy.

[Bonanza]

Hi Bonanza,

I'm not a journalist and am merely posting opinions from medical doctors and scientists questioning the efficacy and safety of the much hyped flu shot. This is a discussion board, isn't it? I think people reading this board are quite intelligent and can decide for themselves if the flu shot is something they wish to get.

That's all… no big conspiracy.

I beg your pardon . . . there is nothing "hyped" about flu shots!

You may not be a journalist by vocation, but by posting anything on a forum, makes you one.

Yes, it's a discussion board but you aren't discussing it. You are simply doing a copy and paste of others' opinions, but mostly, not really yours, although you seem to agree with them and have added a personal touch here and there.

Furthermore, it's as though everything in your posts is the gospel. It isn't! While there is some truth in some of it, you fail to compare none of it to other good, medical opinions, and some of it is only a part of the truth or part of the whole picture. It is so one-sided, it's about to fall off the cliff.

And who, pray tell, said anything about a conspiracy???

[Nightengale212]

FYI Most doctors and nurses never get the flu shot..It is totally unnecessary..
Eat well, get plenty of sleep and the best advice is to practice good hand washing and stay out of crowds…

Not sure where you are getting your info from but this R.N. and pretty much all the other nurses and doctors I work with get the flu shot. Who do you think are the most heavily exposed to the flu virus ? It is the healthcare worker like me who is highly exposed to coughing-in-your-face flu infected patients, and most of us opt for the shot to not only protect patients but to protect ourselves from patients.

[xNYer]

From the FDA

Formaldehyde has a long history of safe use in the manufacture of certain viral and bacterial vaccines. It is used to inactivate viruses so that they don’t cause disease (e.g., polio virus used to make polio vaccine) and to detoxify bacterial toxins, such as the toxin used to make diphtheria vaccine. Formaldehyde is diluted during the vaccine manufacturing process, but residual quantities of formaldehyde may be found in some current vaccines. The amount of formaldehyde present in some vaccines is so small compared to the concentration that occurs naturally in the body that it does not pose a safety concern.*

Formaldehyde is also produced naturally in the human body as a part of normal functions of the body to produce energy and build the basic materials needed for important life processes. This includes making amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins that the body needs.

Formaldehyde is also found in the environment and is present in different ways. It is used in building materials, as a preservative in labs and to produce many household products.

The body continuously processes formaldehyde, both from what it makes on its own and from what it has been exposed to in the environment. When the body breaks down formaldehyde, it does not distinguish between formaldehyde from vaccines and that which is naturally produced or environmental. The amount of formaldehyde in a person’s body depends on their weight; babies have lower amounts than adults. Studies have shown that for a newborn of average weight of 6 - 8 pounds, the amount of formaldehyde in their body is 50-70 times higher than the upper amount that they could receive from a single dose of a vaccine or from vaccines administered over time.

Excessive exposure to formaldehyde may cause cancer, but the latest research has shown that the highest risk is from the air when formaldehyde is inhaled from breathing, and occurs more frequently in people who routinely use formaldehyde in their jobs. There is no evidence linking cancer to infrequent exposure to tiny amounts of formaldehyde via injection as occurs with vaccines.

[Schaumburger]

I had the flu once, in the spring of 1995. To this day I still remember how deathly ill I was and how long it took to fully recover. It took over a month.

I'll take my chances with the flu shot.

I agree. I had the flu about 14 years ago. I was sicker than a dog. Every year since 2001 I have gotten the flu shot; I just got mine last week for the upcoming flu season.

I always remind my 84 year old Dad to not forget to get his flu shot!

[Hancle704]

Dr. Miller, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz all have an audience and don't know you from Adam but are all peddling something. What does your doctor who knows you best suggest?

[asianthree]

I find among acquaintances who do not vaccinate at all that they look for "experts" whose claims validate their seething hatred of "Big Pharma".

But when they land in the ICU for weeks they're going to wish for antibiotics and steroids and every other drug produced by their hated villain.

Since the fact that anabiotic's and steroids will kill me. I am thinking that my hatred of big pharm has nothing to do with the fact that a lot of people cannot take drugs ...we deal with it when we sometimes end up in ICU. And sometimes we die. But you will find those who cannot take pharmaceuticals have a tendency to have a different look on life. We have no choice, or as my kids say if you want to get rid of me quick float an antibiotic in my coffee. Anaphylactic shock is a quick way to go

[graciegirl]

Since the fact that anabiotic's and steroids will kill me. I am thinking that my hatred of big pharm has nothing to do with the fact that a lot of people cannot take drugs ...we deal with it when we sometimes end up in ICU. And sometimes we die. But you will find those who cannot take pharmaceuticals have a tendency to have a different look on life. We have no choice, or as my kids say if you want to get rid of me quick float an antibiotic in my coffee. Anaphylactic shock is a quick way to go

You really against prescription drugs? Even those that you are not allergic to?

[2BNTV]

B767drvr and VPL must be related. :D

I got my flu shot last week, and will continue to get the flu shot every year.

My experience has been that it may not prevent you from getting the flu, it will reduce the symptoms that will enable you, to function. No one wants to make love to the porcelain goddess.

For those allergic to the shot, getting it is not a good idea but I still believe one should get a pneumonia and shingles vaccination. Shingles is a painful condition that one family member suffered with, causing a tremendous mount of pain. The pneumonia vaccination will not stop you from getting pneumonia, but it will keep you from dying. Source is my old PCP.

"You can say, I won't get the flu shot or I will". Either way your right.

[Suzi]

If everyone got the flu shot, then the people who were allergic and could not be immunized would very unlikely to get the flu.......who would they get it from? Same with the childhood immunizations. If all children were immunized, who would they catch measles from?

Just a thought.

[B767drvr]

If everyone got the flu shot, then the people who were allergic and could not be immunized would very unlikely to get the flu.......who would they get it from?


Just a thought.

They would get the flu from the people who have the flu, after getting the flu shot… sort of the point of all this information.

[graciegirl]

They would get the flu from the people who have the flu, after getting the flu shot… sort of the point of all this information.


The immunization does work for most people. There are tests that can be performed to check the body's response. Titer.
I am sure that those are done in controlled studies before the vaccine is released.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003333.htm

[CFrance]

They would get the flu from the people who have the flu, after getting the flu shot… sort of the point of all this information.
They would NOT get the flu from the majority of people who did get the flu shot, because the majority of those folks will not get the flu!

[B767drvr]

The immunization does work for most people. There are tests that can be performed to check the body's response. Titer.
I am sure that those are done in controlled studies before the vaccine is released.

Antibody titer: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003333.htm)

If some take the time to research the efficacy of the flu shot, I think you will achieve total consciousness:

>>A new government report on the effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine finds dramatic discrepancies in the amount of protection Americans received, with senior citizens being left the most vulnerable.

The 2012-2013 influenza vaccine contained two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain. The A strains included an H1N1 (swine flu) strain similar to the one that caused a 2009 pandemic and a new H3N2 strain, that officials later discovered to be behind much of the serious illness reported this year. The vaccine also contained a 2010 influenza B strain.

The new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the vaccine offered 58 percent protection against the most common and dangerous H3N2 strain for children ages 6 months to 17 years old, 46 percent protection for adults ages 18 to 49, and 50 percent protection for adults 60 to 64 years of age.

However, for seniors 65 and older, this year's flu shot was found to be only 9 percent effective against the more virulent H3N2 strain, the report showed.

Overall, the flu vaccine was found to be 56 percent effective at reducing the need for medical visits caused by the illness. That's around the initial 62 percent effectiveness figure the CDC reported in January based on early test results collected from 1,155 children and adults who went to doctors with respiratory infections.

In recent years, the vaccine has been about 60 to 70 percent effective at preventing flu.

For adults 65 and older, the vaccine was found to be 27 percent effective against the three strains, according to the new report -- the lowest in about a decade, but not far below from what's expected.

But the vaccine did a particularly poor job of protecting older people against the harshest flu strain, and CDC officials say it's not clear why.
<<


CDC: Flu vaccine only provided 9 percent protection for seniors against worst strain - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-flu-vaccine-only-provided-9-percent-protection-for-seniors-against-worst-strain/)

[B767drvr]

They would NOT get the flu from the majority of people who did get the flu shot, because the majority of those folks will not get the flu!

The data do not support your assertion.

[graciegirl]

If some take the time to research the efficacy of the flu shot, I think you will achieve total consciousness:

>>A new government report on the effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine finds dramatic discrepancies in the amount of protection Americans received, with senior citizens being left the most vulnerable.

The 2012-2013 influenza vaccine contained two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain. The A strains included an H1N1 (swine flu) strain similar to the one that caused a 2009 pandemic and a new H3N2 strain, that officials later discovered to be behind much of the serious illness reported this year. The vaccine also contained a 2010 influenza B strain.

The new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the vaccine offered 58 percent protection against the most common and dangerous H3N2 strain for children ages 6 months to 17 years old, 46 percent protection for adults ages 18 to 49, and 50 percent protection for adults 60 to 64 years of age.

However, for seniors 65 and older, this year's flu shot was found to be only 9 percent effective against the more virulent H3N2 strain, the report showed.

Overall, the flu vaccine was found to be 56 percent effective at reducing the need for medical visits caused by the illness. That's around the initial 62 percent effectiveness figure the CDC reported in January based on early test results collected from 1,155 children and adults who went to doctors with respiratory infections.

In recent years, the vaccine has been about 60 to 70 percent effective at preventing flu.

For adults 65 and older, the vaccine was found to be 27 percent effective against the three strains, according to the new report -- the lowest in about a decade, but not far below from what's expected.

But the vaccine did a particularly poor job of protecting older people against the harshest flu strain, and CDC officials say it's not clear why.
<<


CDC: Flu vaccine only provided 9 percent protection for seniors against worst strain - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-flu-vaccine-only-provided-9-percent-protection-for-seniors-against-worst-strain/)


The above link is referencing last years flu shot. The above report was in February of this year at the height of the flu season.

We three will get our flu shots this year and hope for a better result.

I am confident that it does help.

[Bonanza]

The data do not support your assertion.

Sorry, but you are only reading one-sided data.

Trying reading something outside of your very limited box!

[asianthree]

You really against prescription drugs? Even those that you are not allergic to?

Yep I am a Des baby . The drug that was given to women in the 50s (my mom took it) while pregnant. Many of those babies ended up with cancer. At 17 I had cervical cancer, followed by 7 others cancers, and 8 miscarriages. And then our two surviving children have issues also from the drug. I do not use any over the counter or prescription drugs. Just not giving them another chance. However there are few drugs I can take so it matters not.

[justjim]

We got the flu shot today and pneumonia shot too. Wife got pneumonia 7 years ago and it was "nip and tuck". The vast vast majority of doctors advise the majority of people to get these shots. Seems right to me.

[graciegirl]

Yep I am a Des baby . The drug that was given to women in the 50s (my mom took it) while pregnant. Many of those babies ended up with cancer. At 17 I had cervical cancer, followed by 7 others cancers, and 8 miscarriages. And then our two surviving children have issues also from the drug. I do not use any over the counter or prescription drugs. Just not giving them another chance. However there are few drugs I can take so it matters not.

I am familiar with that tragedy. It was given to women who were bleeding early in a pregnancy to help them from not miscarrying.

Sometimes drugs have awful side effects. But thank God you are here and you wouldn't have been without that awful drug. And before it was discovered that it caused the girl babies to have a high risk for cervical cancer it was given to many women.

I still say that prescription drugs overall save many more lives than they destroy.

Thank you for telling us this, Asian three.