Influenza is the most common infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, 20-30% of children and 5-10% of adults come down with the flu every year. Usually, the flu is a manageable illness, but serious complications can occur. We are told that ¼ million to a ½ million people die every year due to serious complications from the flu, usually pneumonia. 1
These numbers are subject to a great deal of interpretation since they are based on projections and best guesses, not lab tests confirming the patient who died from pneumonia ever suffered from actual influenza. In addition, 70% of deaths are patients over 75 years of age with a combination of health issues. If influenza is such a major health concern, why aren’t doctors and hospitals testing for confirmation? Chances are, we would find the numbers highly over inflated.
Spanish Influenza
No discussion of influenza would be complete without mention of the Spanish Flu pandemic. In 1918, up to 5% of the global population died due to the Spanish flu, with more fatalities in one year than four years of the bubonic plague. Estimates, of the dead in that one-year, range from 20 million to 100 million.
Most influenza strains target children, the elderly, and the infirmed. This strain was just as deadly for healthy young adults, many of whom died within hours of exhibiting their first symptoms. The dead were tagged for name and race as hemorrhaging under the skin made later identification impossible.
This horrific pandemic has become the scare tactic to promote vaccine programs such as ours, even though the vaccines are dirty, dangerous, and largely ineffective.
History of The Flu Shot
It was previously believed that a bacterium, Haemophilus, caused the flu. In 1933, researchers learned that viruses cause influenza. Five years later, Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk developed the first flu vaccine. Initially, the vaccine was used on U.S. soldiers during WWII. 2
The influenza vaccine, or flu shot, is a commonly utilized vaccine with over 40% of Americans regularly receiving the inoculation. The CDC recommends that anyone over 6 months old receive the annual vaccine, stating that vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the flu and to avoid potentially serious flu-related complications. 3
How Influenza Spreads
People infected with influenza can spread the disease to others a full day before their first symptoms develop and for a week after developing symptoms. Children are likely to spread the virus for longer than a week.
The flu is spread by contact with infected people. When sick individuals cough, sneeze, or talk they produce tiny saliva droplets that carry the virus. When others breathe in these droplets, they can become ill. In addition, infected people spread the virus by touching solid surfaces, such as doorknobs. The virus can survive on solid surfaces for days and on porous surfaces or hands for many hours. When other people touch those items or surfaces and then their mouth or nose, the virus can spread.
It is also possible to get the flu from recently vaccinated individuals. Some flu vaccines are made from live attenuated viruses. For instance, those receiving live vaccine strain nasal viruses can spread the virus for a week or more.
How Flu Shots Are Made
There are 16 different flu shots approved by the FDA, made by several pharmaceutical companies. Some of these vaccines are designed solely to protect against the H1N1 influenza virus A strain. But most flu vaccines distributed in the U.S. are designed to provide protection from three strains of influenza viruses; two strains of type A influenza viruses, and one strain of type B influenza virus. The strains are chosen every year by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control, based on a best guess as to the greatest threat in any given year.
There are three main methods employed in the manufacture of flu vaccines.
- Egg based vaccines
- Cell based vaccines
- Recombinant flu vaccine
At present, many influenza vaccines are manufactured by inoculating the virus into eggs where the viruses multiply. Afterwards, the viral components are harvested. An effort is made to remove egg particles but some egg ingredients remain. Alternately, animal cells can be used instead of fertilized chicken eggs as the culture medium.
Influenza
The authentic flu virus causes a respiratory illness, specifically referred to as type A or type B influenza virus. This virus can be found in secretions of the nose, throat and lungs.
Every year we have a flu season when it appears the flu sweeps over the population. However, it is estimated that as many as 80% of the flu-like illnesses that occur during flu season are not actually the flu. Curiosity is expensive. A lab test is the only reliable confirmation of whether a patient’s flu-like symptoms are caused by influenza or another viral or bacterial cause.
Symptoms of the FLU
The flu has similar symptoms to a cold virus, though flu symptoms are more severe. Different strains of the flu have similar symptoms. Common symptoms include a fever over 100°F, feeling feverish, chills, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, headache, body aches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Sometimes symptoms can be more severe and require medical attention. These include difficulty breathing, cyanosis (purplish or blue lips), pain or pressure in the abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, persistent or severe vomiting, seizures, or symptoms that are flu-like then dissipate before returning with a worse cough or fever.
Ingredients in the flu shot
With all of the different flu vaccines on the market, the ingredient list varies a little from shot to shot. Common troublesome ingredients include polymyxin, beta-propiolactone, formaldehyde, aluminum, thimerosal, polysorbate 80 and neomycin.
All of the Ingredients are Toxic but Many Are Known Carcinogens
Thimerosal, which is present in most flu vaccines, is highly toxic and synergistically toxic, meaning it becomes significantly more toxic when in the presence of other chemical compounds such as aluminum and many antibiotics. Thimerosal is made of thiosalicyclic acid and ethyl mercury. Mercury is 500-1,000 times more toxic than lead. Paradoxically, pregnant women are told by their doctors to limit their seafood intake due to mercury concerns, but now, pregnant women are also told to get their mercury-containing flu shots.
If you’ve ever heard the saying “mad as a hatter,” it refers to the fact that mercury was once used in the making of fur hats. Hatters, those unfortunates souls who made fur hats, would often go insane due to mercury poisoning. Studies have linked high levels of mercury to Alzheimer’s disease. High levels of mercury has also been linked to autism, ADHD, and other learning disabilities and neurological impairments.
Polysorbate 80 is often contaminated with 1-4-dioxane, a carcinogen that has been shown to cause reproductive disturbances in rats. Even though people are not rats, how could polysorbate 80 be good for human health?
Beta-propiolactone is a powerful and toxic disinfectant with multiple uses. It is used to sterilize blood plasma, shots, tissue grafts, surgical instruments, and enzymes. It is also “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen”, especially when injected into the bloodstream (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1999).4
Many Flu Vaccines Also Contain GMOS
Many flu vaccines contain human genetic material that has been genetically modified. With ingredients this questionable and this toxic in the vaccines you would want to be confident that the vaccines are highly safe and effective, but there is limited evidence to support this notion. Dangers of the flu vaccine, on the other hand, are not hard to find.
Dangers of the Flu shot
Adverse reactions to the flu shot do happen. Most commonly, these reactions begin within 12 hours of vaccination and can last several days. These common symptoms include: fever, fatigue, painful joints, and headache.
Serious reported complications to the flu shot include brain inflammation, convulsions, Bell’s palsy, paralysis of limbs, neuropathy, shock, asthma, wheezing, and other problems breathing.
There are other serious reactions to the influenza vaccine such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome or GBS, which occurs 2-4 weeks following vaccination. GBS is an autoimmune disease and nerve disorder characterized by muscle weakness, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling, persistent pain, and paralysis of the face, and/or limbs. About 5% of GBS cases prove fatal. Full recovery or permanent disability can result.
Brain and nerve disorders including encephalopathy, optic neuritis, partial facial paralysis, brachial plexus neuropathy and vasculitis have also been reported following the flu vaccine.
Adult influenza vaccine injury claims are the number one claim submitted to the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program or VICP. It is very difficult to get a fair hearing in the VICP. Most of the cases are simply dismissed. Vaccine manufacturers enjoy special protection from liability; they cannot be sued. All claims must be handled through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
“As of November 2013, there have been more than 93,000 reports of reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following influenza vaccinations made to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including 1,080 related deaths, 8,888 hospitalizations, 1,801 related disabilities and over 1,700 cases of GBS. In 2013, the Federal Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) voted to add GBS to the Vaccine Injury Table within the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).” 5
The CDC posts all kinds of statistics, but there are not clear statistics regarding the risks of the influenza vaccines. Hard numbers like the number of vaccine injuries, vaccine deaths, or proof of vaccine efficacy are unavailable. For instance, it would be helpful to know how many of the influenza related deaths were people who had been vaccinated. The CDC’s claim that the flu shots are highly safe and effective would be more believable if they publicized the number of vaccine injuries or the percentage of risk. At a minimum, these numbers should match the number of claims settled in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, if not exceeding them.
How To Avoid Getting The Flu
The basic bottom line to avoiding any serious illness, including influenza, is a healthy diet. We must feed the body the nutrients it needs while constantly aiding it in detoxifying from our polluted environment (air, water, and constant exposure to chemicals).
A truly healthy diet consists of 80% raw produce, more vegetables than fruit. All food ingested should be whole and organic, free of artificial flavorings, colorings, preservatives, MSG, GMOs, trans fats, and artificial sweeteners. To learn more about a healthy diet, read 80% Raw Food Diet.
Make Your Immune System Bulletproof with These Natural Remedies can help you prevent of treat the flu.
Other flu prevention strategies you’ve heard in the past may help. Yes, wash your hands frequently, but do not use antibacterial soaps, wipes, or solutions. These are toxic; they do more harm than good and they are creating super bugs. Plain old soap and water with a bit of scrubbing has been proven just as effective, if not more effective.
One very effective strategy is intensive gargling at the first sign of illness. Gargle with apple cider vinegar every hour or more to significantly cut the viral load. You will be aiding your immune system in killing off rapidly multiplying virus cells. If the infection takes hold, it will not be as severe.
Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C (if not, supplement). One way to help ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals is to add Total Nutrition Powder to your daily diet. The link will take you to an article with a recipe to make your own. Also, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep and exercise, and reduce stress.
If you do catch the flu, rest, hydrate, eat well, and avoid all sugar. Sugar feeds both bacteria and viruses, making the current infection worse and secondary infections more possible. Lemon water or cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia are great alternatives to water. Just add pure, unsweetened cranberry juice and lemon juice to water and sweeten with stevia to taste.
And finally, if you do choose to vaccinate yourself or your child with the flu vaccine, do not forget the fact that it includes mercury, among other toxic ingredients. Please read How to Detoxify from Vaccinations and Heavy Metals.
Further Reading:
- How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
- Influenza Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness of the Flu Shot
- The MMR Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview Of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness
- How Plumbing, Not Vaccines, Eradicated Disease
- Autism and Vaccines: CDC Whistleblower Exposes Vaccine Dangers, Lies, and Cover-ups
Sources:
- 1 Recombinant Influenza Vaccines – US National Library of Medicine
- 2 Flu Vaccine – MedicineHealth
- 3 Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2011-12 Influenza Season – CDC
- 4 The Flu Shot: Everything You Need To Know – Save Our Bones
- 5 Influenza – National Vaccine Information Center
- The Flu Shot – Save Our Bones
- Are Your Fillings Poisoning You?
- How Influenza (Flu) Vaccines Are Made – CDC