by Ralph Campbell, MD
Influenza is upon us early and with severity so we are told. There is the urgent warning to get your flu shot now to avoid being one of 36,000 U.S. deaths every year. This same figure appears every flu season in spite of the CDC admitting, for several clear reasons that the figure is a "guesstimate," the most prominent being that people don't die of influenza, per se, but predominately of secondary pneumonia augmented by other underlying health problems. Unfortunately, the CDC gathers its mortality statistics under the category of "pneumonia and influenza"---lumping them together rather than attempting to determine if the pneumonia was a secondary infection due to an immune system weakened by influenza infection. And since the immune system in the very young and old is often sub-par, they are more prone to both the primary and secondary infections.
This year the flu vaccine is ineffective.
The consistency, year after year, that this figure (36,000) is quoted in order to promote a sense of urgency is astonishing. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published an alarming study. From what happened to our Southern hemisphere friends in Australia in their last flu season (their winter; our summer), one can estimate how our oncoming season will go. In Australia last season there were 215,280 cases vs. 59,022 in the 2009 Influenza A (H1N3) season, likely due to vaccine mismatch. This same study presented the discouraging news that in Australia last year, even with a relatively good match, the effectiveness may have been only 42% overall or 34% for the H3N2 strain. This year's Influenza A (H3N3), the predominate strain, proved to be only 10% affected by the vaccine. The reason: Since vaccines need to be prepared in advance, the manufacturer often can't keep ahead of the rapidly mutating strains of the virus. The CDC is making this admission: When the influenza vaccine is a good match to the virus, the shot reduces the risk of getting the flu by 40% to 60%. However, this season (winter of 2017-2018) is one where the vaccine is not well matched to the virus. It is only anywhere from 30% to 10% effective. Natural immunity built up by the immune system is often preferable since it is longer lasting. With this type of information, a discussion of the pros and cons of the flu vaccine with the doctor is imperative----not just with a shot-giver who has no knowledge, or interest in, the personal medical history.
Flu shots preempt the doctor-patient relationship...
(There's lots of info here..)
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
20 comments:
I will pass.
I got mine because I got really sick last year and didn't get the flu shot. Guess I will see. Idk.
Every year I got a flu shot, within days I got symptoms of the flu. I know it wasn't the flu, but if my body reacts the same way: aches, fever, etc., why get it?
In the years I didn't get one, I was fine. Actually, the years that I had a slight cold early on seemed to build my antibodies better than a flu shot.
And no, I'm not an immunologist....but I did stay in a holiday inn express last night.
If you people knew anything, anything at all, is that flu shots don't work period!!!! The RNA in Flu changes year to year, and as such you cannot know which RNA the flu virus will have, so the CDC or whom ever makes the shots, puts what they believe will be the right mixture for some common flu cases but it is a craps shoot... Ask yourself why is it you or others get sick after the shot???? That is becasue it is a live virus they are putting in you to get you to combat the virus for when you come in contact with the actual virus and becasue the flu shot doesn't work to prevent the flu...
Trials are underway for a "universal" flu vaccine that is much more effective as it does not rely on the mutating outer H and N proteins to identify the virus in our bodies.
8:34 rhinovirus that causes cold and influenza are very different. Your reactions are likely your body reacting to the vaccination itself.
8:41 the outer H and N proteins (think of them as spikes on the outside of a ball, the ball being the virus) are what mutate. Hence the "H3N1" "H2N5" names. You are correct about the CDC, they try to best predict what strain we will be hit with and vaccinate accordingly. The flu vaccine is a live attenuated virus, meaning the infectious agent (flu) is altered so that it becomes harmless or less virulent. Other "live" virus vaccines include measles, mumps, robella, polio and smallpox :)
You can get sick after a vaccination because your body is reacting to what it perceives is a foreign invader or you could also catch the common cold during this time which shows similar symptoms.
Mate, if you're going to try and seem smarter than the rest of us you should really work on your grammar. It takes the wind right out of your argumentative sails..
They do not put a live virus in you. That stopped over many many years ago. Your statement completely false.
If your over 55 you should definitely get a flu shot, possible the pneumonia shot also. If you Don't do it, your letting your political views cloud common sense.
I personally got the flu shot only once after getting a shot, back in the 70's in the swine flu shot, which was a live virus. Since then, I've had a flu shot every year, and only had the flu once in 35 years.
Had a family member claim Flu shots are a "goverment conspiracy" till he almost died 2 years in a row from the flu. They all get flu shots now every year and have never had it since.
I wonder how many idiots on here consider a cold the "Flu"?
99.9 percent of flu vaccines are not live viruses you moron. Get educated on the facts.
The article states "This year the flu vaccine is ineffective". This is a misleading statement. Yes, it is true that the most common and widespread flu strain is not in this year's flu vaccine. However, what the author fails to reveal is just because one flu strain has emerged in the news doesn't mean there aren't other flu strains gaining ground out there. The author actually makes it sound as though the first flu strain of the year wins and NO OTHER STRAINS ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN THE SANDBOX. Give me a break! It amazes me how many so called experts are out there. Do yourself and your family a favor and take your doctor's advice about flu shots and don't rely on the media for health care.
8:41-...flu shots don't work period!!!!
period!!!!- I just wanted to point out how ridiculous your statement is. Do you even realize?
The flu shot is proven to work if the CDC makes an accurate guess on what the next year's flu strains will be. All you conspiracy theorists are nuts!
I love seeing people with some actual knowledge taking the fools to school.
What a bunch of crap by a Naturopathic loon. A bunch of quacks that now label themselves as "Orthomolecular Physicians". Vitamin supplements have repeated been proven to be ineffective and a waste of money. The only supplement that may be of any benefit is Vitamin D. Also, if you have ever truly had influenza, you will take your chances with a relatively harmless vaccine even if it only has a 10-60% chance of being effective on any given year.
Like ive said before me and my family hasnt got flu shot in long time decade and never got flu 1 time i got flu shot guess what got flu right after scam
If you said it before, how would we know that? Also, what?! I see you know English, but who can understand what you wrote. Did you even make it to the third grade?
9:05 Love it!
I get my flu shot so I can see the new lovelies in the doctor's office!!! Good ol Doc always brings in new help during the holidays!!!!! Business is always good with WE older folk!
I get it every year.
I figure a little bit of mercury is OK - right?
It doesn't matter if the virus is live or not if they didn't predict the correct strain of flu for this season.
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