I need to sound off about something. Please forgive me if I'm stepping on toes or repeating something ewveryone already knows.

I've had a light case of the "flu" and am pretty much recovered. I did not take the flu shot. I have never taken a flu shot.

My husband had a much worse case of the "flu". He took the flu shot.

Many of my friends have already had the "flu". Most took the flu shot.

Pretty much the same thing happens every year.

I learned more than I really wanted to know about the flu vaccine several years ago when I served as a member of a Task Force for the World Health Organization.

Most of the research is conducted by the people who benefit from the sale and administration of flu vaccine. Unbiased research, however, indicates that taking the flu shot may not only be a waste of time, but can lead to serious reactions.

The income to the pharmaceutical industry, doctors, and clinics from flu vaccination is astronomical. And they are usually the ones who are charged with reporting adverse effects, reporting ineffective immunizations and doing the research.

Although the vaccine changes each year, in the rush to get it to the public, clinical trials are often limited or omited entirely so we are acting as their guinea pigs. And the vaccine has been linked to serious neurological conditions including Guillain-Barre Syndrome and other autoimmune conditions. A surgeon who had suffered a reaction that permanently paralyzed his right arm testified before the task force and we learned of others who had been paid off by pharmaceutical companies with the stipulation that they not make public their stories.

Regularly reported, but less serious reactions including varying degrees of weakness or tingling in the legs spreading to the arms and upper body with self limiting paralysis are common.

The flu vaccine, for most people, is (1) Ineffective. The flu virus changes every year. The vaccine is developed from killed viruses from the previous year's outbreak thus it does nothing to immunize against the current year's virus. (2) It is Unnecessary. Most Healthy people can withstand a case of the flu without long term effects. Also most of the so called flu is actually one of the many rhinoviruses that circulate through the population each year, and (3) The vaccine is capable of causing serious neurological injuries.

I know we are all encouraged to take a flu shot every year and they are hyped on every news broadcast. I am no physician nor do I advise anyone to go against their doctor's advice. However, as I learn more about flu shots I am not only leery of them, I'm afraid.

smile

[ December 13, 2003, 11:37 AM: Message edited by: smilinize ]