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Flu Shots For The Elderly Are Ineffective
http://www.orthomol
(OMNS, October 23, 2008) Have the elderly people in your family missed their flu
shot? If so, they may have made the right decision. The New York Times recently
reported that "A growing number of immunologists and epidemiologists say the
vaccine probably does not work very well for people over 70," and that previous
studies may have shown "not any actual protection against the flu virus but a
fundamental difference between the kinds of people who get vaccines and those
who do not . . . simply because they went to the doctor more often." (1)
Influenza vaccination has been widely touted even though evidence of
effectiveness is lacking. One large scientific review looked at 40 years' worth
of influenza vaccine studies. It found that flu shots were ineffective for
elderly persons living in the community, and flu shots were "non-significant
against influenza" for elderly living in group homes. (2) The authors of another
major review "found no correlation between vaccine coverage and
influenza-like-illness attack rate." (3) Author Dr. Thomas Jefferson said, "The
vaccine doesn't work very well at all. Vaccines are being used as an ideological
weapon. What you see every year as the flu is caused by 200 or 300 different
agents with a vaccine against two of them. That is simply nonsense." (4) Indeed,
he commented, "What you see is that marketing rules the response to influenza,
and scientific evidence comes fourth or fifth." (5)
Some still claim that flu vaccinations, even though they do not prevent the flu,
may help prevent more serious complications such as pneumonia, so dreaded and so
often deadly for the elderly. But the authors of the study discussed in the NY
Times article specifically noted that "influenza vaccination was not associated
with a reduced risk of community-acquired pneumonia." (6)
As with all immunizations, flu shots can have harmful side effects. Vaccines may
contain, among other things, ingredients such as mercury and aluminum, which are
widely regarded as toxic. The elderly are more likely to be injured by, or even
die from, flu vaccine side effects. Such incidents may remain unreported by
hospitals or physicians. One man, aged 76, had a flu shot and immediately had to
be hospitalized for a week. When family members suggested to the hospital staff
and physicians that it was probably a reaction to the shot, their views were
disregarded. Two years later the man had another flu shot, and was promptly
hospitalized a second time. Family members once again said it was a reaction to
the flu shot. The hospital said it was a low-grade infection, probably a bladder
infection. The man died.
There are indications that vaccination side effects are underreported. The US
Food and Drug Administration's Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System receives
around 11,000 serious adverse reaction reports each year, mostly from doctors.
(7) FDA states that "VAERS tracks serious vaccine reactions, not common fevers
and soreness from shots. Serious reactions include death, life-threatening
illness, hospitalization, and disability resulting from a vaccine." (8) However,
FDA admits that they probably receive reports for only about 10 percent of all
adverse vaccine reactions. (9) The National Vaccine Information Center estimates
the reporting percentage to be far lower, perhaps under 3 percent. (10)
The exact contents of each year's flu shot is an educated guess. Sometimes this
guess is wrong, as it was for 2008, where the vaccine "doesn't match two of the
three main types of flu bugs now in circulation. . . . The predominant type A
flu virus this year is the H3N2 strain; 87% are the "Brisbane" strain. And 93%
of this year's type B flu bugs are from the "Yamagata" lineage. The current flu
vaccine's H3N2 component is the "Wisconsin" strain; the type B component is from
the "Victoria" lineage." (11) Even when the guess is correct, flu viruses
frequently mutate and become resistant all over again.
The flu vaccine, notes the NY Times, has not been double-blind, placebo-control
tested. Faith in vaccination appears to be greater than the scientific evidence
to justify vaccination. Senior citizens already take far more medications than
any other segment of the population. The elderly have weaker immune systems. The
risk of immunization adverse effects rises accordingly. Increased side effect
danger, along with low effectiveness, is a bad combination.
Is their an available alternative? Yes, there may be: give the elderly more
nutrients, rather than more needles. Older people often have inadequate diets.
With ageing and illness, their bodies' need for vital nutrients goes up, yet
frequently their intake actually goes down.
Nutritional supplements help fight the flu. Vitamins and minerals have been
shown to significantly reduce incidence and duration of influenza. This was
already known back when many of today's elderly were still middle-aged. 32 years
ago, twice Nobel-Prize winner Linus Pauling reviewed the nutritional literature
and determined that high doses of vitamin C reduce the frequency and shorten the
severity of influenza. (12) Orthomolecular (nutritional) physicians have
repeatedly confirmed this. Robert F. Cathcart, MD, successfully treated
thousands of viral-illness patients with massive doses of vitamin C. (13)
Vitamin D also increases resistance to influenza (14), as do the minerals
selenium and zinc. (15)
With good nutrition bolstered with supplemental vitamin and mineral intake, the
human body's natural defenses are strengthened and can rapidly adapt to resist
new flu strains. Clinical evidence indicates that nutrition is more significant
that vaccination. Malnutrition is far more dangerous than not getting
vaccinated.
No, there is not a vaccination for every illness. It might be nice if there
were, but no shot can make up for poor nutrition.
Over-reliance on vaccinating the elderly ignores their fundamental problems of
poor diet and vitamin/mineral deficiencies. These are underlying reasons for a
susceptible immune system. Supplemental nutrition is the "other" immune system
booster. It is time to use it.
References:
(1) Goodman B. Doubts grow over flu vaccine in elderly. September 2, 2008.
(2) Rivetti D, Jefferson T, Thomas R et al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in
the elderly. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Jul 19;3:CD004876.
(3) Jefferson T, Rivetti D, Rivetti A et al. Efficacy and effectiveness of
influenza vaccines in elderly people: a systematic review. Lancet. 2005 Oct
1;366(9492):1165-74.
(4) Gardner A. Flu vaccine only mildly effective in elderly. HealthDay Reporter,
Sept 21, 2005.
(5) Rosenthal E. Flu vaccination and treatment fall far short. International
Herald Tribune, September 22, 2005.
(6) Jackson ML, Nelson JC, Weiss NS, Neuzil KM, Barlow W, Jackson LA. Influenza
vaccination and risk of community-acquired pneumonia in immunocompetent elderly
people: a population-based, nested case-control study. Lancet. 2008 Aug
2;372(9636):398-405.
(7) National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161, 703-487-4650,
703-487-4600.
(8) Kids' Vaccinations
(9) KM Severyn in the Dayton Daily News, May 28, 1993 cited HERE
(10) "Investigative Report on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System."
National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), 512 Maple Ave. W. #206, Vienna, VA
22180.
(11) DeNoon DJ. Most influenza strains do not match current vaccine. February
11, 2008. Also: Joe Bresee, MD, chief, epidemiology and prevention branch, CDC
Influenza Division, Atlanta. CDC news conference, Feb. 8, 2008.
(12) Pauling L. Vitamin C, the Common Cold, and the Flu. Freeman, 1976.
(13) Cathcart RF. Vitamin C, titrating to bowel tolerance, anascorbemia, and
acute induced scurvy. Med Hypotheses. 1981 Nov;7(11):1359-76.
(14) Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, Holick MF, Grant WB, Madronich S, Garland
CF, Giovannucci E. Epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect. 2006.
Dec;134(6):1129-40.
(15) Girodon F, Galan P, Monget AL et al. Impact of trace elements and vitamin
supplementation on immunity and infections in institutionalized elderly
patients: a randomized controlled trial. MIN. VIT. AOX. geriatric network. Arch
Intern Med. 1999 Apr 12;159(7):748-54.
For more information:
Video questioning influenza vaccine
A humorous look at flu vaccine
For further reading:
Miller NZ. Vaccine Safety Manual for Concerned Families and Health
Practitioners: Guide to Immunization Risks and Protection. New Atlantean Press,
2008. ISBN-10: 1881217353; ISBN-13: 978-1881217350. Also: Miller NZ. Vaccines:
Are They Really Safe and Effective. New Atlantean Press; Revised Updated
Edition, 2008. ISBN-10: 1881217302; ISBN-13: 978-1881217305.
Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine
Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight
illness. For more information
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Editorial Review Board:
Damien Downing, M.D.
Harold D. Foster, Ph.D.
Steve Hickey, Ph.D.
Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D.
James A. Jackson, PhD
Bo H. Jonsson, MD, Ph.D
Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D.
Erik Paterson, M.D.
Gert E. Shuitemaker, Ph.D.
Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor and contact person.
Email: omns@orthomolecular.org