by Chet Day

Reprinted with permission from Chet Day's Health & Beyond

Every year about this time, quite a few people write me and ask, "My Doctor tells me to get my annual flu shot. Should I do it?"
Well, I don't diagnose or prescribe, and what you do with your body remains entirely up to you and your doctor (if you still go to a doctor), but I'll gladly tell you what I do regarding flu shots...

I avoid them like the plague.

In fact, at age 52, I've never had a flu shot, and it would take a Marine nurse and at least four burly wrestlers the size of Jessie Ventura to hold me down and give me one.

Perhaps you already sense I have strong feelings about flu shots?

These feelings stem from personal opinion, reading, and dramatic personal experience.
First off, I don't think toxic chemicals and virus strains grown on living tissue belong in the human body, even when they're packaged in sterile glass vials.

Since my family and I don't rely on doctors anymore, I don't have access to an insert that reveals the composition of this year's flu vaccine, but I did find some general information at the Concerned Parents for Vaccine Safety web site, where I learned about some of the ingredients used to make vaccines.

Do you want any of the following vaccine constituents in YOUR bloodstream?

* Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)

* Phenol, also known as carbolic acid (this is used as a disinfectant, dye)

* Formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing agent

* Aluminum, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease and seizures and also cancer producing in laboratory mice (it is used as an additive to promote antibody response)

* Thimerosal (a mercury disinfectant/preservative) can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease

* Neomycin and Streptomycin (used as antibiotics) have caused allergic reaction in some people.

Vaccines are also grown and strained through animal or human tissue like monkey kidney tissue, chicken embryo, embryonic guinea pig cells, calf serum, and human diploid cells (the dissected organs of aborted human fetuses as in the case of rubella, hepatitis A, and chickenpox vaccines).

Well, I refuse to put all of the above in my body, and I hope when your doctor starts telling you it's time for your annual flu shot that you'll require him to defend the annual injection. You or your insurance company's probably paying eighty bucks for a visit, so get your money's worth.

Have your doctor read you the insert that comes with the vaccine.

Then have him/her explain why it makes sense to inject toxic chemicals into the human body and how such substances can aid the delicate immune system.

Chances are he/she will fall back on questionable statistical and demographic explanations that the medical establishment has used for decades to justify immunization.

Try to engage your doctor in a non-confrontational discussion because this is an opportunity for him/her to actually give some serious thought to what he/she is injecting into bodies of patients day after day after day.

Many traditional doctors who haven't studied diet and lifestyle aren't going to change unless we help to educate them to what drugs and vaccines may really be doing long-term to people.

Click here for rest of article
http://www.mercola.com/2000/nov/26/flu_shots.htm

I know that in large amounts, everyone has a bad response to Mercury, but, I cannot tolerate it even at the doses in Flu Shots and other vaccines.

Remember OJ's Beauty Lotion, well I could not even tolerate the Mercury levels that was in that product. Neither could I use Mercurechrome or Mertholaid. (cannot spell those two, but, you get the gist, I'm sure.)

So, just because of the Mercury content in the Flu shots, I will certainly not be getting one.

I may have to just wear one of those masks over my nose and throat when I am in my PCP's office this fall and winter.

Rosemary

Edited to correct goofs.

At least you are way ahead of the game "knowing" that you are allergic to mercury!

Most people do not realize the harmful effects of mercury.

Check out this article by Dr. Mercola re: alternatives to flu vaccine. You probably are already doing all of this, but I think it is good info for those who may not know.

Flu Vaccine Not Working--CDC Admits. What are Your Options?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had two choices when it came down to which flu formula to use for winter 2003. Should they stick with the same formula used last year in 2002, knowing that a new strain of the bug was developing? Or should they attempt to make a new vaccine that could possibly come with complications or delays and that could result in a shortage?

The first sign of the new flu bug showed up just two weeks before the committee was scheduled to meet. The scientists who track the flu had noticed a new strain was gathering mass. The overall decision to bring back the older version was decided on the fact that there wasn't enough time to produce a new flu vaccine.

The committee met this past February and was told that the current vaccine might not work in protecting people from the new strain.

Even though the committee voted 17-1 to bring back last year's version, they all have admitted that they made the wrong decision.

ABC News December 15, 2003
Dr. Mercola's Comment:

For years now I have been informing you that the flu vaccine is not the answer to avoiding the flu.

When I first started practicing medicine over 20 years ago, the flu vaccine was only indicated for those over 60 years of age or with chronic health conditions. Then experts predicted that we would see even more flu vaccinations recommended than we have already seen. Now, finally the CDC admitted the obvious, the flu vaccine does not work.

What you MUST understand is that people are dying from the flu because they are already sick and have compromised immune systems. The ultimate treatment for the flu is proactive prevention. Eat the right foods, avoid the junk, get plenty of rest and stay emotionally balanced--all presented in detail in my new book--and you and the flu symptoms will likely never meet.

Start focusing NOW on eating properly. That means STOP with the junk foods and fast foods, STOP with the sugary foods, the processed grains, and the trans-fats. That means INCREASE the healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in cod liver oil, the good carbohydrates like those in vegetables, and the healthy proteins like those in clean, naturally raised meats (i.e., NOT the kind you typically find in grocery stores) like free-range chicken. That means learn your metabolic type as soon as possible so you know what proportion of fats, carbs and proteins are ideal to build YOUR immune system (and help you optimize your weight, and increase energy, and avoid premature aging).

I guarantee that this and not vaccines and pills are the answer. I have spent over two decades developing my dietary program, and through my respected clinic it has proven to help tens of thousands of people build their immunity, overcome disease (most far more serious than the flu), optimize their weight and increase their energy.

Related Articles:

Six Ways to Avoid the Winter Flu--and a Flu Shot Isn't One of Them

Beware of Colds If You Are Under Stress

Hydrogen Peroxide For Colds and Flu

Do You Need the Flu Shot?

Flu Shot Demand Rises Sharply BUT Don't Be Fooled

Six Ways to Avoid the Winter Flu--and a Flu Shot Isn't One of Them

By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege

Do you come down with a case of the flu like clockwork every year as soon as the leaves start to change color or the snow starts to fall? Do you feel helpless against the flu? If you said yes, and if you feel that avoiding the flu is beyond your ability, then read on. These are surefire ways to greatly reduce your chances of getting the flu this year.

Avoid Sugar

Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness, including the flu. It is especially imperative to avoid sugar if you feel you are coming down with something, but keeping sugar out of your diet for the long haul will do wonders for your health and make your body stronger, which will make it harder for the flu to bother you.

Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect like ketchup and fruit juice. For all the steps to building your immune system to its peak levels, which is by far the most effective way to avoid the flu (and chronic disease), consider my new book, "Dr. Mercola's TOTAL HEALTH Cookbook & Plan", which presents my entire dietary and health program that took twenty years to develop and has helped tens of thousands of patients at my clinic overcome illness and disease.

Get Enough Rest

Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Regular rest will keep you strong and ensure that your body has the strength to fight off any potential invaders. Be sure to check out my recent article on sleep and cancer prevention for some great tips to help you get quality rest.

Eat Garlic Regularly

Garlic is a triple-whammy: it's antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Garlic is one food that you should be eating every day.

It is important to note that the garlic must be fresh to give you optimal health benefits. The active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so garlic pills are virtually worthless and should not be used. When you use the garlic, compress it with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to your vegetable juice. If you swallow the clove intact you will not convert the active ingredient, allicin, to its active form.

One problem with garlic, of course, is the smell, but generally a few cloves a day are tolerated by most people. If you develop a socially offensive odor then all you need to do is slightly decrease the amount of garlic you're consuming until there is no odor present. Garlic is an herb, however, so if you do not like it or it makes you feel sick, this is your body's way of telling you that you should avoid it.

Don't Let Stress Become Overwhelming

We all face some stress everyday, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. It has been estimated that up to 90 percent of illness and disease is stress-related. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a type of psychological acupressure. EFT is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma. You can check out my free, 25-page EFT manual for some guidelines on how to perform EFT. Beyond that you can try my EFT Series on DVD or VHS, which provides in-depth instruction on EFT.

Exercise

When you exercise you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it has a chance to spread. In a sense, exercising helps your immune system to be more efficient in weeding out and acting upon viruses and diseases. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips to get started.

Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. If your immune system is strong, it should be able to fight off the virus if it does enter your body, but washing your hands provides a bit of extra protection.

Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this--antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. You can read my recent article on hygiene mistakes for more information.

Instead of antibacterial soap, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to. Local health food stores typically carry a variety of natural soaps.

You may have noticed that I didn't mention getting a flu shot. This is because the flu shot, and the newly released FluMist nasal vaccine, are not the answer to avoiding the flu.

The "experts" will use fear to motivate people to get a flu vaccine, but this is yet another health care illusion. Let's be clear, flu can definitely be a killer disease and is not something that should be easily dismissed. But, remember that flu shots don't prevent illness--never have, never will.

The flu vaccine can actually weaken the immune system and make you more predisposed to the illness. And the side effects of FluMist, cough, runny nose/nasal congestion, irritability, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fever, sound just like the symptoms of the flu. If you decide to get the nasal flu vaccine, you will get not only a live flu virus in each dose but also table sugar and MSG, which are fraught with their own problems.

Plus, research has shown an increased risk of Bell palsy following intranasal flu vaccination, according to the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS). The makers of the nasal flu vaccine in the study decided not to market it the following season due to the risk. According to GACVS, the greater risk of Bell palsy following immunization with this vaccine may have been due to specific vaccine components, or simply to use of the intranasal administration route. It is therefore possible that such complications of vaccine administration may also apply to other nasal vaccines.

The flu vaccine, whether in the shot or nasal form, is worthless at best and should be avoided. Not only are they loaded with toxic chemicals including mercury and aluminum, but many people come down with the flu shortly after receiving the shot. This is because it actually weakens the immune system, making the person more predisposed to the illness. I have never received a flu shot and haven?t missed a day of work due to illness in over 20 years.

The bottom line is to lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating right, exercising, getting adequate sleep, and addressing stressors, year round. Again, consider reading my new book and implementing my diet and health program into your life (the book is guaranteed for life or your money back!) If you do, chances are you'll never have to worry about coming down with the flu.

Related Articles:

Beware of Colds If You Are Under Stress

Five Simple Strategies to Reduce Stress and Eliminate Exhaustion

Risks of FluMist Vaccine

Why I Never Get Flu Shots