Is The Flu Vaccine Worth It?

That is the question so many people ask me and for good reason.  More and more the information about what is in a vaccine is getting out to the public – or at least more people are paying attention.  And as people realize all the junk that is in them, they wonder whether the benefits outweigh the potential risks.

WARNING:  I am not here to give you medical advice one way or the other about this subject, but I am going to give you the information you need to formulate an informed decision as to whether you should get one or not!.

Rice University has developed a method to predict the efficacy of vaccines and after 10 years, it has proven to be the most accurate predictor out there.  The real numbers for last year are still being compiled but preliminary numbers predict it will be about 19 %.  According to the Rice method, this year’s efficacy will be even less.

Another analysis of the flu vaccine has been done by a  highly prestigious group of independent researchers who compile all available data globally  and release reports on what they find called the Cocrhrine Review.  This review is cited by experts all over the world in their research, papers and many news reports.   According to these scientists on years that are considered average (when the vaccine only partially matches the circulating strains – which is even better than last years match) they found that 100 people need to be vaccinated in order for one person to avoid getting flu symptoms.  So that means 99 people are going to get vaccinated with no measurable benefit and lots of potential risk.  In 2010, Cocrhrine researchers were highly critical of the CDC’s recommendation that people get a flu vaccine because it will reduce transmission of the virus and reduce the risk of potentially deadly complications from the flu.   Even though the CDC states that this recommendation is based on scientific data, the Cochrane researchers pointed out that there was no evidence that vaccines prevented viral transmission or complications.  In fact there was no study performed that evaluated either the ability of the vaccine to interrupt the spread of the disease or the effect of having the vaccine on the complications.   Since 2010 there was a study done that was published in January of 2018 that looked at whether the vaccine prevents transmission of the virus.   The study showed that people who got a vaccine the current year and the previous year were found to shed through their skin and breath over 6x more aerosolized virus than those who did not get a flu shot during either season.  This presents a rather large potential threat especially to those who have more compromised immune systems and have a higher exposure to people who have had the vaccination on a regular basis such as residents of retirement centers.

It is interesting to note that an article published in the New York Times in 2010 that cited the Cochrine review would lead us to believe that the vaccine produced a big payoff in public health, when in fact the conclusion of the authors of the study actually seemed to discourage the use of the vaccination against the flu in healthy adults a routine public health measure.

So if you feel that its worth getting a shot as long as either one out of five people who do will actually experience any type of protection or one out of 100 that will avoid flu symptoms, you should understand the potential dangers that you are exposing yourself to when you get the shot.

According to the paperwork that comes with the vaccine you may experience: vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, blood chemistry effects, heart disturbances and central nervous system effects. The toxicity of phosphates is because of their ability to sequester calcium.

There is also mounting evidence that flu shots can contribute or even cause Alzheimers disease.  One report showed that people who received the flu shot 3 – 5 years in a row had a 10x greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s then people who did not have any flu shots.

This should get you thinking about whether you want to get the flu shot or not, and that is the purpose.  To get you to think.  You know how to research things on Google.  Get your own data and make an informed decision.  That’s all that really matters.  Don’t take anyone’s word for something as important as your health.  Take the 10 -15 minutes it takes to Google it.  You will be happy you did no matter which way you decide.