The Flu Shot: To Get or Not to Get?

Is it flu season already? It has been all over the news and I hear the talk buzzing all around me. This season the flu is supposed to be one of the worse ones for both regular Influenza A and B and also the H1N1. The vaccines for the regular flu are already available and of course the media and health professionals are encouraging us to get one.

The flu has hit early here in our area and it seems that most of the tests are coming back positive for Influenza B. We keep hearing about the swine flu (H1N1) as well, but not sure how many of these have actually been confirmed since the tests are not very accurate.

I am personally battling making the decision as to whether my children and I should get a flu shot. My children's pediatrician always assures me that this is my decision and that my children are healthy so they should be fine with whatever decision that I choose. We have not gotten a flu shot in a couple of years and have been fine. I just make sure that all of us are taking are vitamins and washing our hands well.

Do people know what is in the flu shot when they decide to say yes to one? I began researching this topic a couple of years ago (coincidentally when I stopped taking the flu shot) to understand the ingredients because I am Vegan. My thought was if I do not ingest animal products through my diet, do I really want to have a shot that was prepared in a chicken embryo? Unfortunately this became the least of my concern once I found out what is in the flu shot.

Flu shots are full of toxic agents. These are things that none of us would consume and yet we let someone inject this directly into our body? The two things that I wanted to mention that the flu shot contains are formaldehyde and thimerosal (mercury/aluminum).

How do we expect the human body to build immunity when we expose it to these toxic poisons? According to the CDC, the effectiveness of the flu shot ranges from 30-40%. This is not a very effective number considering you are opening up your body to potential future health dangers by allowing toxic agents into your body.

Other ingredients that the flu shot contains are: Octoxinol-9 (spermicidal), Triton X-100 (used to make detergent), Gelatin (bones, skin, tendons of animals), Sodium Phosphate (known to isolate calcium in the body), and Sodium Chloride (Salt).

I understand that at-risk people need to have the flu shot, but healthy individuals should allow their bodies to build up its own antibodies.

I think I have convinced myself that this is definitely not something that we will be participating in. Not as long as my children and I are healthy that is.

Greg Ciola, 'Danger lurking in flu shots'. Idaho Observer November 2004.