What are your thoughts on the flu shot? Are you getting one? Why or why not? If not, are you taking any other precautions against the flu, or are you just letting nature run it's course? My parents are pretty much begging me to get a flu shot, but I really don't want to. For one, there's preservatives in most flu shots that contain mercury and aluminum.. I just don't want to put that shit in my body. And the fact that i'm on a tight budget only gives me more of a reason not to get one. I don't ever really get sick, despite the fact that I multiple autoimmune diseases (hmm, and smoke pot). The worst thing that's happened to me in as long as I can remember is a slight cold that lasted about two weeks, but it was more of a annoyance than it was being sick, ya know? Anyway, i'm thinking if I just kick up the vitamin C and one of those immune system supplements then i'll be fine. thoughts?
I, nor my husband, have ever received the flu shot. Neither have our three children. I am against it as I feel that there is no guarantee that it will protect you, it contains last year's strain of flu virus, not the current year's. Besides, growing up, when we got the flu, we weathered it. None of us ever got to the point where we needed hospitalized, or serious care. I think the drug companies try to intimidate people with scare tactics into the seriousness of the flu in order to make more of a profit due to the volume of people who are driven by fear to get one to protect themselves. The more people they rope in, the more money they make. My mother, whom is a nurse, doesn't even get the flu shot. She says that the times she has received it, she still got sick anyway. So it seemed a waste to her. My father never gets one either, nor does anyone on his side of the family. My mother-in-law is really big into getting her flu shot each and every year. She is always on us to get it. Funny thing is, even though she gets it, she always gets sick during flu season anyhow. *laughs*
The flu is miserable. It's not a bad cold. It's much worse. I always get a flu shot. Maybe it won't work, but maybe it will, so why not? It's never caused any harm. Oh, and the best thing you can do to boost your immune system is exercise. It's free, too.
I am studying naturopathy and I do not recommend anyone taking the flu shot. Vaccinations have been linked to autism for one and for two if you are healthy person you cant "catch" any sickness. Believe it or not even a plague.
Anyone can get the flu, healthy or not. You just need to be around people in a cold and dry environment. There is no flu in the tropics. The healthier you are, the worse your symptoms will be. The symptoms are created by your immune system. strong system, strong symptoms. wearing a mask is a good preventive measure because you won't touch your face as much and the air you breathe will be warmer and moist. The flu shot is not last year's strains. It is the best guess of what this year's strains will be. A healthy adult is not going to get autism from the flu shot. The link to autism is not backed up by science in children, and as a result of resistance to inoculations in upper class families we are now getting measles epidemics. One caveat: if you have ever been allergic to eggs, watch out! The flu shot almost killed me last year, and came very close to causing me to lose my bowels and vomit on the subway. Barely made it home! There is a nasal spray vaccine alternative if you had an egg allergy as a kid or still hove an egg allergy.
Not true the flu is your body cleaning itself out. if you are healthy you wont get the flu. you just have to know the defintion of healthy. mind, body, spirit.
Never needed it, never will want it. I take a Vitamin C supplement throughout the winter season, it's all I ever needed to keep me away from sickness...
currently have the flu. not getting the shot though, I never have and probably won't. My immune system seems to take better care of me in sickly situations such as this.
my mom took me to get it this year, but it's not a regular thing at all. probably the first time I've had it in 2 or 3 years. but I work with small children, so I guess the precaution isn't a bad thing. I also take vitamin C pills every day, and eat TONS of citrus. haven't been sick in quite a while.
bree, take a look at a book called "the great influenza". Naturopathy is great, but it's not a reason to ignore reality. I'm big into chinese medicine myself, but nothing is a panacea. Th flu is caused by a foreign invader that can jump from pigs to birds to people. If it mutates just so, it can kill you. And the younger and stronger you are, the more likely you are to die. Naturopahty is just another way, and a valid one, of expressing the same thing. But you can be wrong in the context of conventional western medicine, and you can be wrong in the context of naturopathy. It's equally possible to come to a bad or good conclusion in any system. The flu killed more people than bombs and bullets in WWI. Some of those deaths were preventable if only we had listened to the scientists advising us to avoid crowds and wash the hands. Why do you suppose there is no flu in warmer climates, and no flu in the summer? the virus has trouble taking hold in warm and moist conditions.
Vaccinations are not linked to Autism. It just shows how far a game of Chinese whispers can go - Dr Andrew Wakefield wrote a journal in the Lancet about it back in '98 despite a complete lack of evidence and the media took hold of it and we ended up in a sorry state of affairs. As maryjohn mentioned, people's reluctancy to get their kids vaccinated now means we are seeing outbreaks of preventable diseases in some pockets of the population. I just want to flag the point that the flu virus kills a lot of very vulnerable people every year - if it were not for the vaccine, many more would also lose their life: So theres no harm in taking the flu shot! ((Unless of course you are allergic to eggs as has been pointed out )) As for the second point, it's a really interesting concept and I wish it was true, but surely healthy people can 'catch' a sickness?
We have viruses in us all the time...if we actually "caught" something than how come everyone is not sick all the time. Healthy people do not get sick. I dont know about you guys but my family even my grandparents and I have never ever ever gotten the "flu shot" or vaccinations and none of us even had a common cold for at least 5 years. Call it good luck? No I dont, I call it knowledge of what health is really about. Obviously you have to eat well organic fruits and veggies is all I eat, with exceptions like special occassions I pig out because my body can take it. its not what you do for the short term its what you do everyday (yes fruits and vegetables have carbohydrates and protiens in it too) Many people are misinformed about how much protein and carbs you actually should eat. Next you have to have some sort of spirit something to hold on too. SOUL. And the most hardest part to health which everyone has so many issues with is mind. It's soo hard to keep a clear mind, stress is the number one acid produce. So mediation, stillness are excellent for that.
That is the last I am going to say in the health forum its a waste of time to try to even explain myself, when i could be using my time wisely. I could be using this time to be even getting more patients who actually care.
like I said bree, naturopathy is great, but you're misinformed at the same time. The flu is not around all the time. The problem happens when you meet a strain you haven't met before. In the case of the flu, not only does the new strain cause you problems, it can combine with the old strains you have to create new ones. The flu is nasty. The flu shot can save lives. Nothing against naturopathy, but there is no reason for you to be so set against science. There is no mutual exclusion. I'm glad you have managed to not get colds for five years, but I don't really see how that is significant to public health.