Fall is approaching, which means you are going to start seeing advertisements and hearing recommendations to get your flu shot. This happens every year to help protect people during influenza season, but are flu shots really that effective? Is flu season more of a plot to make the pharmaceutical industry lots of money?
Flu shots are created prior to flu season based on what strains the WHO thinks will be the most trouble for people. They are designed to protect people from about three or four strains of A and B viruses, which can lead to headaches, nausea, muscle aches, runny noses, fevers, or coughs. The problem is that the flu virus is unstable. Let’s say you come in contact with a strain of the flu that the vaccine doesn’t cover. You can become ill anyways, despite getting vaccinated.
In Children
If you give six different kids under the age of six a flu shot, the common result is that you may prevent one case of the flu. Research indicates that the benefits of getting vaccinated are unclear for children under two years old. Findings almost indicate that the effectiveness of the vaccination are similar to the placebo effect.
In Adults
When the WHO guesses the correct strains, you need to vaccinate about 33 people in order to prevent one case of illness. In a year when the WHO falsely guesses the virus strains, you need to vaccinate about 100 people in order to prevent one flu case.
Increased Threat To At-Risk Patients
If you already have a weakened or suppressed immune system, flu vaccines may not be beneficial. The vaccine introduces the virus to the body, but an immune system that isn’t functioning at its optimum level may not be able to fight off the virus, ultimately resulting in flu symptoms or increased risk of infection.
Possible Mercury Toxicity
Mercury can cause memory loss, cardiovascular disease, digestive troubles, oral health problems, and respiratory illnesses. The flu vaccine contains mercury. In fact, it exceeds the limit of allowable daily exposure to the heavy metal.
Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s
Because the elderly can have weakened immune systems, the flu shot is heavily marketed to them, in addition to other demographics. Unfortunately, there is strong evidence linking the flu vaccine to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Receiving flu shots for three to five consecutive years actually increases that risk ten-fold.
Would you rather put your health at risk by getting vaccinated, or opt for a natural substance to ward off viruses like vitamin C? Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that helps to strengthen the immune system, alkalize the body, and fight free radicals. Vitamin C occurs naturally in plant-based foods like kiwis, chiles, guavas, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, or parsley, among many others. Try loading up on vitamin C foods this fall to boost your immune system and keep viruses at bay.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
