How to protect yourself from sickness—safely
The daily proclamations to get the “new and improved” flu vaccine are already starting. But beware!
Over the last few years, the annual government flu vaccine has been a disaster. And a new study of more than 16 million people over age 65 speaks to this epic failure.
A whopping 80 percent of Medicare recipients in the study who received a flu vaccine last year still ended up getting the flu.1
And this research was conducted by the FDA, so you can be sure the scientists were looking to put a positive spin on any angle they could on things to promote the government’s relentless flu vaccine campaign.
In fact, the CDC reported that last year’s flu vaccines protected only 36 percent of Americans of all ages. Even worse, the CDC found the vaccines to be less effective against the specific flu strains that actually made people sick.2
This means your chance of getting any protection from flu vaccines is literally worse than flipping a coin. And you’ll only find that you came up on the tail end after you become sick—and are potentially hospitalized—from the flu.
But just because vaccines are virtually useless doesn’t mean there aren’t safe, effective ways to protect yourself from the flu during the colder months. I’ll share with you my six, simple flu-fighting steps in a moment.
But first, let’s look more closely at these new FDA findings, along with another recent study showing just how dangerous flu vaccines can be—for everyone.
Why are flu vaccines so ineffective?
The FDA study reported that most of the flu vaccines produced in recent years are grown in a chicken egg culture. But a slightly more effective vaccine was grown in an animal cell culture.
Of course, “slightly more effective” is all relative. The FDA commissioner told a Congressional subcommittee in March that the animal cell-culture vaccine, called Flucelvax®, was 20 percent more effective than the egg-culture vaccines.
This means that only 75 percent of older adults who get a Flucelvax® shot will get the flu, compared to the 80 percent diagnosis rate I mentioned earlier. So looking at the big picture, it’s really not much of an improvement.
In fact, I’m becoming convinced that the annual flu epidemic is getting worse because of these vaccines.
And a recent study backs me up.
The vaccine increases spread of flu viruses
In a recent Daily Dispatch (“Flu vaccines increase airborne flu transmission by more than 600 percent”), I reported on research from the University of Maryland with people who were vaccinated during the 2012-13 flu season. Shocking results showed that they were six times more likely to pass the virus through airborne exposure.3 (To revisit this article, simply visit www.DrMicozzi.com and type the title into the top right search bar.)
The researchers reported that when the study participants got the flu, a process called “aerosol shedding” sent little bits of the active, infectious virus into the air when they breathed. Amazingly, these people didn’t even have to sneeze or cough to blast the virus particles into the air. Just regular breathing released them.
Which means you can indeed contract the flu by simply being next to someone who has the virus. (So maybe it’s not so crazy to wear face masks when out in public like they do in Asia.)
And shockingly, it appears that current and/or prior vaccinations actually increase your contagious transmission rate if you catch the flu.
The researchers also suggested that vaccinations may promote lung inflammation, closure of airways in the lungs, and an increase in the amount of airborne flu particles—all factors which lead to increased aerosol shedding.
It’s really a vicious circle, and the flu vaccine only appears to be making matters worse.
Help is not on the way
A couple of the candidates who ran for president in 2016 publicly expressed concerns and skepticism over the rampant academic-government-pharma vaccine industry. And one of them became president.
It’s time government reform extended to the sacred cows (and chickens) in our public health bureaucracy.
But that’s not likely to happen—at least not for the upcoming flu season. Beginning this month, the CDC will start beating the drum again for you to rush out and get their latest vaccine.
And you’ll see calls to get vaccinated everywhere: at your doctor’s office, the local drugstore, and possibly even your workplace. It’s pretty much unavoidable.
But what you really should avoid is this vaccine. And be sure to take precautions around those who’ve been vaccinated because chances are, they’ll come down with the flu anyway. (And leading up to that, I’m sure many who’ve gotten the vaccine believe they’re no longer contagious… or even worse, will deny they’re coming down with something altogether).
I fear that this flu season it will be, as the French say, “suave qui peut” or “every man for himself.” Here are six simple, natural ways you can protect yourself from the flu this winter.
6 vaccine-free strategies for flu protection
1) Wash your hands. Flu and cold viruses are typically spread through direct contact—like touching your nose, mouth, or eyes after coming in contact with a contaminated surface. That’s why washing your hands with good old-fashioned soap and water is the best flu prevention technique.
In fact, an experiment my daughter and I conducted years ago found that washing with soap removes 99 percent of germs from your hands.
So wash your hands regularly throughout the day, and avoid touching your face unless your hands are clean. And don’t forget to wash under your fingernails, where germs love to congregate.
2) Avoid air dryers. In the February 2015 issue of Insiders’ Cures (“The shocking source spreading cold and flu viruses”), I wrote about a study showing that hand dryers also blast viruses around a restroom. And those viruses can linger in the air for up to 30 minutes. It’s pretty gross when you think about it…
But simply drying your hands with a paper towel or handkerchief can scrape off any remaining germs left over after hand washing. Just make sure to use that towel or handkerchief to open the door before you exit. It’ll help you avoid germs deposited on the door handle by those who opted to use the air dryer—or even worse— those who didn’t wash their hands at all.
3) Rinse off your face. Remember, someone can literally breathe the flu virus onto you. But you can protect yourself by rinsing away any virus microbes that get near your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Whenever you believe you’ve come in contact with someone with the flu, flush out the germs by holding your breath and submerging your entire face into a sink or large bowl of warm water—completely covering your eyes, nose, and mouth. Blink your eyes several times. Then blow out through your nose.
4) Boost your immunity. The best way to fight any virus is to have a strong immune system. I recommend you take a high-quality vitamin B complex every day, along with 250 mg of vitamin C twice a day.
Research shows that regular intake of vitamin D can help prevent or fight off the flu, as well as colds and viral infections. I recommend 10,000 of D3 a day. (For more on D’s disease-fighting capabilities, see page 5).
Magnesium (400 mg a day) and selenium (100 mcg per day) have also been found to help your immune system ward off colds and viruses like the flu.
5) Add an adaptogen to your daily routine. These medicinal plant substances help your body maintain a healthy balance and state of normalcy, and can help promote an active and healthy immune system. Like their name implies, they help you “adapt” to the stressors of every day life.
Common adaptogens include ashwagandha (500 mg per day), panax ginseng (250 to 500 mg per day), and Sutherlandia frutescens (600 mg per day).
6) Take these herbs at the first sniffle. Echinacea, goldenseal, and elderberry have been found to be effective at reducing the length and severity of colds and flu, but they must be taken at the first sign of a virus.
Rather than swallowing capsules, I prefer to brew these herbs as a tea—with the addition of flu-fighting honey, fresh lemon, and/or ginger.
The bottom line: It’s very easy to (sometimes unknowingly) expose yourself to cold and flu viruses. But practicing sensible personal hygiene and boosting your immune system can go a long way toward keeping you flu-free this fall and winter.
Sources:
1”Flu vaccine grown without eggs provided measurably better protection this season, FDA says.”STAT. March 9, 2018. Retrieved from: statnews.com/2018/03/09/cell-culture-flu-vaccine-flucelvax/
2”New flu vaccine only a little better than traditional shot.” AP News. June 20, 2018. Retrieved from: apnews.com/ebd47b7368a14ae79f83d68a571b8363/New-flu-vaccine-only-a-little-better-than-traditional-shot
3“Infectious virus in exhaled breath of symptomatic seasonal influenza cases from a college community.” PNAS. January 18, 2018. 201716561.