Influenza
The influenza (flu) vaccine is touted as being able to prevent the seasonal (October through May) flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Influenza vaccine can prevent influenza (flu).”
However, that statement is a bit misleading. Just because it can, that doesn't mean that it will for you or even most people. What goes into a flu vaccine each year is a bit of a guessing game, since the virus changes forms each year, and we don't know which manifestation will be prevalent until the vaccine is already produced. If a vaccine works only 42 percent of the time, that is considered a pretty good outcome.
But when you consider the risks involved with the shot, that 42 percent success rate may not have much appeal. Because most people only hear the hype about the potential benefits from the marketing departments of the various pharmaceutical companies and their allies, I've listed on these pages some of the research that warns of drawbacks that you might want to weight in your decision of whether you should get that injection each year.
Problems seen after influenza vaccination that are documented here include:
- Various respiratory illnesses, some very flu-like.
- Miscarriages.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease. (IBD)
- Bell's Palsy (a facial paralysis).
- Narcolepsy (falling asleep at inappropriate times)
- General inflammation, which can be a precursor to some serious diseases.
- Hospitalizations, particularly for children with asthma.
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