Should You Get the Swine Flu Vaccine?

Everywhere you look and everything you hear centers around swine flu lately. There is talk of mandatory vaccinations of school children and health care workers; seniors, pregnant women and very young children are always the prime candidates for vaccinations of this type. But is this the best answer? I am not a doctor nor am I an infectious disease expert. However, I believe it is very important to get as much information as possible in order to make the best decision. I will share some information but the responsibility to seek as much information as possible and the final decision as to whether to get the shot or not is yours, at least for now.

First of all, have you ever asked your doctor whether he or she gets a flu shot every year? The answer may surprise you. Dr. Donald Miller, a cardiac surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington, recommends avoiding the flu shot and taking vitamin D instead. According to Dr. Miller, "Seventy percent of doctors do not get a flu shot." Official health statistics tell us 36,000 people will die from the flu EVERY winter. But the National Vital Statistics Reports compiled by the CDC reveals only 1,138 of those deaths occur due to the flu alone. The balance are caused by pneumonia, heart attacks and other underlying causes such as bacterial infections.

Dr. John Cannell and his colleagues have theorized that the flu is merely a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. Their theory was further proven by researchers who suggested that flu epidemics are the result of a dormant disease which is activated by vitamin D deficiency. It seems logical since our flu season happens in the fall and winter months, when we have fewer hours of sunlight.

All vaccines carry a risk no matter how "safe" they are said to be. The vaccine being produced specifically for the swine flu or H1N1 virus is being "fast tracked." That means it is being pushed through testing and approval phases and therefore we will not have adequate information as to its long and short term safety. That is a huge concern. Back in 1976 - the last swine flu epidemic - 25 people died - solely as a result of the vaccine. That was more than the actual number who died from the virus itself! And it triggered 500 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a serious brain disorder that attacks the lining of nerves and can cause temporary paralysis and death. Many experts have similar concerns about this new vaccine.

Many experts are voicing concerns about the long term risks of this fast tracked vaccine in healthy people and whether those risks are justified, particularly when all the evidence shows that this H1N1 flu is a mild strain. The Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration receives around 11,000 "serious adverse reaction" reports per year. Serious reactions are defined as death, life-threatening illness, hospitalization, or disability resulting from a vaccine. The FDA admits that in all probability only about 10% of adverse reactions are actually reported.

30-50% of people infected with flu have mild or no symptoms at all and the vast number of people clear it on their own. We have to also keep in mind everyone is biochemically unique and we each react differently to drugs and treatments. The risk-benefit is different for everyone - so one size, so to speak, cannot fit all. Another statistic to consider is this: 436 people have died as a result of swine flu; 200,000 deaths occur annually from medical errors.

If all that was not enough to make your head spin, just how effective are flu shots? Preparing vaccines for the coming flu season is an annual guessing game. There are typically 200 to 300 different flu virus strains, while the vaccine usually contains antigens of only a few. (Antigens are molecules that trigger a specific immune response.) More often than not the vaccine doesn't contain antigens of the most virulent strains that season.

The most important recommendation I can make right now is this: educate yourself. Once you know the truth you will not be swayed by fear tactics. There will be many voices trying to get you to respond out of fear. We are never to make decisions, or do anything for that matter, out of fear. That is a position of weakness. The Lord tells us repeatedly to fear not. My suggestion is educate yourself and once you understand the facts, dig for the truth of the matter, which may not be obvious. Then whatever decision you make, do it in faith.

Ann Musico is a certified Biblical health coach and independent nutritional consultant. She has developed a "3-D Living Program" to assist her coaching clients in achieving vibrant health and wholeness - spirit, soul and body. Visit her website at http://www.threedimensionalvitality.com to learn more about the "3-D Living Program" as well as the e-books, products and coaching packages she offers. Subscribe for her free monthly newsletter and weekly email messages. Health is more than just the absence of illness. Let Ann show you how to create a life of passion and purpose, wholeness and harmony.