Link to package inserts for vacinations: Package Inserts for US Licensed Vaccines - Resources for Health Professionals
Well the good news is the symptoms from the 'big' vaccine passed after 24 hours. Knowing how the age 65 vaccine works, I will get next years shot on Wed so I won't lose a sick day. Bob Wilson
It's nothing, compared to the real deal flu infection. One day of malaise vs 1 to 2 weeks of total misery.
The side-effects of the "high-dose" is just a reminder of how bad the real flu can be . . . but briefer and less severe. The reason Medicare pays for the vaccination is it is so much cheaper than treating someone with the real flu. I'm headed to work in a couple of hours after one day of nap time. Had it been the real flu, I'd have been home a lot longer and in worse misery. Bob Wilson
Well, if you refuse to get your vitamin D level up to optimum and won't use liposomal C, then maybe the vaccination is the best you can do. I've found that they work well enough for me that I choose to not use the vaccine. Another thing I do that probably improves my immune system is that I take a telomerase activator. As you age, telomeres get shorter, and the immune system gets less functional. TA Sciences did a study a while back that showed that TA-65 improved the immune system in older people. After 2 years of TA-65 I had the telomere length profile of someone 5 years younger. I've switched to generic cycloastragenol, and hope to see continued improvement in my telomere status. There is a discussion about the value and techniques for old people to regrow the thymus gland at Halting Thymic Involution | Josh Mitteldorf . Interesting stuff.
I'd think the decision on this (any) shot would be based on one's personal exposure. If you are much in hospitals or crowds, you'd do. Otherwise you might elect against. Our older (more frail) members will increasingly choose the shot, just because their autoimmune 'day of rage' cannot compare to the crap involved with actually being hospital-bound with this real (often fatal) infection.
Understand I have no problem with those who choose diet, non-traditional medicines, prayer, or even procrastination to prepare for the flu season. Also: There are four antiviral drugs approved for treating the flu in the United States—oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), amantadine (Symmetrel), rimantadine (Flumadine), and peramivir (Rapivab). . . . If you are exposed to the flu, antiviral medication can prevent you from becoming sick. Talk to your health care provider if you have been or may be near a person with the flu. So we have a wide range of options: Vaccinations - several types ranging from nasal through shots and even jet-gun Antivirals - used when exposure is known Symptomatic relief Lifestyle and diets Appeals to the divine Bob Wilson
As someone with an overactive immune system (psoriasis/Chron's) and siblings with lupus and juvenile diabetes, I have never been drawn to immune-system 'activators'. Y'all have your own genetic perspectives to consider.
In the US, influenza virus has not recently been an 'exciting' killer. We can extol the masses to line up for injections, but mostly to improve herd immunity, Anyone who wants to extend their own lives will consider all mortality causes. They'd consider personal body weight, cardiovascular status, and family history. They'd find few things to modify in their own lives. They'd not ride bicycle without a proper hat, nor in a car without belting, nor climb a tall ladder without somebody holding the base, nor would they not know how to swim. This is not a complete list, but the point is to not die until it can no longer be avoided. If vitamin D whatever is the way, then let us extol it here. I have pirated a flu-shot thread for this purpose. Have your say.
GrassRootsHealth has an ongoing 5 year study of colds/flu incidence correlated with vitamin D blood levels. The interum results at the 3 year point shows a 41% decrease in flu between those with less than 20 ng/ml compared to those with greater than 40 ng/ml. This is a short newsletter report on the results: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs187/1102722411090/archive/1122120472572.html A formal peer reviewed paper is planned after 5 years of data have been accumulated. ---------- Some info about Thiocyanate for treatment of flu and other infections: Beating the flu season 1st Line - A remarkable new weapon to fight everyday infection I've purchased a 1st Line kit ($80+shipping), but never had the need to actually use it. So if my vitamin D / Vitamin C approaches aren't enough, 1st Line is an available escalation. Fair warning that this vendor is not subject to FDA, or apparently even the British equivalent, regulation. So if you think the FDA is covering your fanny, you may not be ready to try Thiocyanate.
Actually, the reason I even know about GrassRootsHealth is that my doctor recommended attending one of their seminars. He was using vitamin D at therapeutic levels, far beyond anything the GrassRoots folks consider. But he thought they were on the right track. Interesting your combination of "get the flu shot and pray". Modern science/medicine has tried to distance itself from the traditional religions such as Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, etc. To fill the vacuum they've created several new "religions" such as the vaccine religion, the cholesterol religion, the glycemic index religion, the chemotherapy religion, etc. I view each as an oversimplification of a far more complex reality.
being in cali, i'm sure you have access to far more alternative's than we do. the holistic healer i took my father to made a lot of sense, especially the diet. we do kill ourselves prematurely, but many consider it life worth living.
Seriously? Even though thus far in my life getting a annual flu shot has been a hit or miss proposition with me, I think a lot of people base their decision on personal experience or "luck". If you've gotten the flu shot for years, and feel you've avoided the flu? You continue to get it. If you've passed on getting it, and also avoided having the flu most years? You pass. But from a scientific and medical standpoint there is little argument as to whether we should get it. Even if it isn't perfect or doesn't guarantee you won't get the flu, it builds up the bodies anti-bodies. For most healthy people, the answer is you should get it. That being said? I'm nervous getting anything labeled "Flu" shot in my arm, in a Wal-Mart or Costco.
The GrassRoots stuff really isn't alternative in the sense that most people think of it. It's simply current research by primarily PhD/MD types working at major universities. One of the major researchers is Michael Holick, PhD MD of Boston University Medical Center. So GrassRoots is based in San Diego, but they draw on experts from all over. Dr. Holick see patients in Boston, so he really isn't available to me except on YouTube or at seminars. If you've got a skin problem that nobody else can manage, you haven't tried everything until you see what he has. Good bet he'll try high dose vitamin D cream...
I wish that were true. The vaccine inserts referenced above in post #21 lists a number of vaccine side effects. The biggie is Guillain-Barre syndrome, and there are quite a few others. A quick google of "vaccine court" provides numerous references to vaccine injury cases. I particularly liked Government Removed Vaccine Injury Court Statistics from Website The main article is mostly informative, then he gets into advocacy, and the comments are the usual political sniping and conspiracy theories. The wikipedia entry looks like it was written by a pharmaceutical company lobbyist - yech! I recommend reading the vaccine insert for every vaccine that you take. Assuming that you agree that the benefits exceed the risks, at least you will be aware of the problems to watch out for. Vaccines do not provide immunity for anything. They attempt to provoke the immune system to produce immunity. For most people, that works out fine. But for some little happens (like people 65+ who receive the under 65 vaccine). And others can have bad reactions that can even cause death. One size does definitely not fit all.
You pays yer monies, you takes yer chances.... How Common Are Vaccine Injuries? When the VICP was first created, if the injured party was denied compensation or was dissatisfied with the amount of the award, they could then proceed with a civil lawsuit with certain restrictions, depending upon the case. Unhappy with this partial liability protection, drug companies kept pushing for complete liability protection and, in 2011, convinced the US Supreme Court majority to rule that federally licensed and recommended vaccines are “unavoidably unsafe” and that the VICP should be the “sole remedy” for all vaccine injury claims.9 I think it’s worth repeating, in case you just glossed over it: The reason you cannot sue a vaccine manufacturer for injury or death is because vaccines are “unavoidably unsafe.” At this point, vaccine manufacturers have virtually no incentive whatsoever to ensure the safety and effectiveness of vaccines that are recommended by federal health officials and mandated by state health officials. The question you’re probably wondering is, so how safe, or unsafe, are they? The answer is, no one really knows, as appropriate safety studies haven’t been conducted. It's important to understand that ALL vaccines carry a risk for provoking an immediate acute adverse reaction, such as anaphylactic shock, fainting, or having a seizure, which could be truly life threatening if you're driving a car or crossing a street, for example. Further, vaccines can impair and alter immune system responses and can also cause brain inflammation (encephalitis or encephalopathy) that may lead to permanent brain damage. In addition, as Institute of Medicine Committees have pointed out in published reports, some individuals are more susceptible to suffering harm from vaccines because of biological, genetic, and environmental risk factors but, most of the time, doctors cannot predict who will be harmed because there are few scientific studies that have evaluated vaccine risks for individuals.
