Dr Mercola Speaks – on UK Flu shot policy

UK children under 5 will not be receiving the flu shot this season, thanks to a ruling by UK ministers and senior government advisers.

After canceling the immunization program for children aged 6 months to 5 years in 2010, they have decided to continue on with the no-flu-shot plan for this age group, citing that vaccination would not have any significant gains.

This was a wise government decision because flu shots are typically ineffective and can be risky for many people, including children, the elderly and virtually every age group in between.

U.S. Still Recommends Flu Shots for Kids, Despite Serious Red Flags

Physicians in America have been insisting that every child age 6 months to 18 years get an annual flu shot for several years now, but health officials have now ramped up those recommendations, telling EVERY person over the age of 6 months get a flu shot EVERY year, healthy or not, low risk or high.

What will receiving a flu shot every year every year of your life do to your immune system?

With all of those vaccinations, will you be more susceptible to influenza-related complications and death? Will children, who are already subjected to 48 doses of 14 vaccines from day of birth through age six, be at added risk for developing chronic health problems from being given a flu shot every year throughout elementary, junior high and high school?

We really don’t know.

Health officials have leapt ahead with recommendations of “flu shots for all” without safety studies — so by getting a flu shot, you are effectively offering yourself, or your child, up as a laboratory rat. In other words, YOU are the safety study!

This year’s seasonal flu shot is a combination vaccine that contains two regular strains of influenza and the new 2009 pandemic H1N1 “swine flu” vaccine — you will not be given the choice to take the seasonal and swine flu vaccines separately.

This is the same type of flu vaccine that Australia suspended during its most recent 2010/2011 flu season for use in children under the age of 5 because it caused a surprisingly high number of reports of children suffering high fevers, vomiting and febrile convulsions. By June of 2010, more than 1,000 adverse reactions in children under the age of 5 had been reported.

Flu shots are also heavily recommended to pregnant women, even though, as the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) reports:

“Influenza vaccines are Category C drugs, which means that animal reproduction studies have not been conducted and it is not known whether these vaccines can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or if they can affect reproduction capacity.”

Unfortunately, the push to vaccinate every man, woman and child in the United States is getting stronger.

New Jersey has passed a law requiring all children attending daycare or pre-school to get an annual flu shot, and some health care workers are being fired if they refuse to get an annual flu shot.

This can only be viewed as the prelude to a much larger campaign that, in the future, may end up dictating whether you will be allowed to enter a college or university to get higher education, get a job, or even travel … Simply put, this trend of mandating annual influenza vaccinations must be resisted and stopped.

Health Care Reform Bill Threatens Schoolchildren With Flu Vaccines

Making it even more difficult for parents to opt OUT of flu vaccination for their children, section 2524 of the health care reform bill includes a program called “No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza.”

As part of this program elementary and secondary schools across the United States will be used as “influenza vaccination centers” where kids can learn to read and get their flu shots all in one day.

You can read about the program for yourself right in the bill, starting on page 1,391, but the text reads:

“The program under this section shall be designed to adminster vaccines consistent with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the annual vaccination of all children 5 through 19 years of age.”

For now the program is voluntary, however a similar scenario that took place during the swine flu outbreak left many children vaccinated “accidentally” without their parents’ consent.

As Organic Health Advisor reported:

One woman who circled “no” on a permission slip regarding the H1N1 swine flu vaccine found out later that her 5-year-old daughter had been administered the nasal mist swine flu vaccine at school.
A 7-year-old Ohio boy, who has had problems with medications, was also vaccinated for the H1N1 swine flu at school against his parents’ wishes.
At least three children in New York City were “mistakenly” given the H1N1 swine flu vaccine without permission.
A 6-year-old girl with epilepsy was given the H1N1 swine flu vaccine without permission at school and ended up in the hospital as a result.
Another 7-year-old boy in Kentucky was also given the H1N1 swine flu vaccine at school “by accident.”
Individual schools will have a choice of whether or not they’re going to participate in the “No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza” program, so it’s a good idea to call your school board and find out where they stand on this issue (while sharing your concerns about turning schools into flu vaccination clinics).

Flu Shots Have Never Been Proven Effective

Flu shots simply do not work as the vaccine manufacturers would like you to believe.

For example:

Giving young children flu shots appeared to have no impact on flu-related doctor visits or hospitalizations during two recent flu seasons, according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.
The flu vaccine is no more effective for children than a placebo, according to a large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
NO studies have conclusively proven that flu shots prevent flu-related deaths among the elderly.
A study published in the Lancet found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. (Many of the “flu” deaths the government claims happen each year are actually caused by diseases like pneumonia, and NOT the flu.)
Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent today.
So make no mistake, if your child gets a flu shot he can still get the flu (or flu-like symptoms). This is because it only protects against certain strains, and sometimes the type A and type B influenza strains that are selected to be in the annual flu shot do not match the strains that actually circulate. So it’s anyone’s guess about which flu viruses will be in your area.

What is known, however, is that flu shots will actively depress your immune system, which may make it even more likely that you’ll get sick.

Vaccines Suppress Your Immune System

During the peak of flu season is a time when you want your immune system functioning at its optimal level. But as soon as you get a flu shot, or any other vaccine, the effectiveness of your immune system diminishes, and may not return to normal for weeks to months. Here are just some of the ways vaccines impair and alter your immune response:

Some components in vaccines are neurotoxic and may depress your immune and brain function, particularly heavy metals such as mercury preservatives and aluminum adjuvants
The lab-altered vaccine viruses themselves may further impair your immune response
Foreign DNA/RNA from animal tissues can wreak havoc in your body and trigger autoimmunity in some people
Vaccines may alter your t-cell function and make you more susceptible to chronic immune dysfunction and chronic illness
Vaccines can trigger allergies by introducing large foreign protein molecules into your body that have not been properly broken down by your digestive tract (since they are injected). Your body can respond to these foreign particles in the form of an allergic reaction
So to achieve questionable temporary immunity against a few of the many viral strains of influenza, you are lowering your defense against millions of other pathogens while exposing yourself to the vaccine side effects. These include, as NVIC reports:

“The 2009 pandemic H1N1 “swine flu” vaccine and the 2010/11 seasonal influenza vaccine containing the pandemic H1N1 component have generated increased reports of Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS), Bell’s Palsy, and idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP); convulsions and narcolepsy.”

Many flu vaccines in the U.S. also still contain the mercury preservative thimerosal in amounts above federal safety guidelines!

If You’re Hurt by Vaccines You Have Little Legal Recourse

Prior to October 1, 1988, if you or your child were injured by a vaccine you were allowed to file a lawsuit against a vaccine manufacturer to receive compensation for harm arising from the vaccine.

Since then legislation was passed stating anyone who is injured and wishes to receive compensation is required to apply through The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), the so-called “vaccine court,” prior to pursuing a lawsuit.

NVICP was “established to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines, stabilize vaccine costs, and establish and maintain an accessible and efficient forum for individuals found to be injured by certain vaccines.”

But when you read between the lines, you discover what this really means is that a program has been put into place to protect vaccine manufacturers and NOT to look out for those injured by vaccines.

According to Barbara Loe Fisher of NVIC, who along with other vaccine-choice advocates is calling on Congress to revamp, and possibly even repeal, this fatally flawed program:

“… two out of three children are turned away for federal compensation.”

If a child becomes seriously injured or even dies after receiving a vaccine, the vaccine makers are completely shielded — and IF they are ever awarded compensation through NVICP, it is the taxpayers who pay, not the vaccine makers.

As the PPJ Gazette recently reported:

“A common misconception is that vaccine liability funds are supplied by the manufacturers, yet I discovered that they are financed by the consumers with a $0.75 to $3.75 surcharge per dose applied as an excise tax. The manufacturers deposit this surcharge fee to the vaccine fund and deduct it as an expense from their taxes.”

But again, most cases heard by the vaccine court are turned down for compensation. The PPJ Gazette continues:

“To apply for damages as a result of vaccines, you must first submit to the [Vaccine Liability] “fund.” Your case will then be handed over to the Vaccine Liability Court, which consists of a panel of 3 to 5 selected individuals called ‘Special Masters.’

The Special Masters may or may not lack a medical background and may or may not lack knowledge of Constitutional due process laws. This is the panel that will “hear” your case to decide whether it has any merit. There is no jury.

If your case is determined to have merit, you can receive compensation. If the Special Masters rule against you or you are not satisfied with their decision, you then have the option of filing your case with a federal or state court. You will likely be financially ruined by this time. It is rare for federal and state courts to even agree to hear vaccine cases and rarer still for them to rule against Vaccine Court.”

So, make no mistake about it. You had better be very informed about the potential risks before receiving a vaccine, or allowing one to be administered to your child, because if something goes wrong you will have a very hard time holding the vaccine manufacturers accountable.

9 Top Tips to Stay Flu-Free

Most of the “flu like” illness that people experience is not associated with type A or type B influenza strains but with other types of viruses and bacteria. Even so, between 5 and 20 percent of Americans do get influenza in the average flu season and the majority of them have uncomplicated cases and develop natural immunity to the strains they were infected with that lasts for years!

Unfortunately, if public health officials and drug companies marketing vaccines have their way, your children and grandchildren won’t be allowed the opportunity to develop this important natural immunity to type A and type B influenza strains.

Healthy children rarely suffer complications from influenza and, in fact, may rarely get it in the first place. Instead of continuing to get a flu shot that has been proven ineffective and has questionable safety, the real way to prevent the flu is through optimal lifestyle and nutrition, as follows.

Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I’ve previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency is likely the TRUE culprit behind the seasonality of the flu — not the influenza viruses.

One Japanese study revealed that a group of children taking vitamin D3 was 58 percent less likely to catch influenza A. That’s a higher effectiveness than any flu vaccine can claim, and doesn’t come with a barrage of potentially devastating side effects.

So I would STRONGLY urge you to have your and your children’s vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are at a therapeutic level, which is between 50-65 ng/ml.

Avoid sugar and processed foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.
Get enough rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.
Have effective tools to address your stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness.

If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.

Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of responding to challenges that can lead to illness. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips on how to get started, and I also suggest learning the phenomenal Peak 8 exercises as well.
Take a good source of animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils like trans fats found in most processed foods, as it will seriously damage your immune response.
Wash your hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this — antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
Eat garlic regularly. Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. And unlike with antibiotics, no resistance can be built up so it is an absolutely safe product to use. However, if you are allergic or don’t enjoy garlic it would be best to avoid as it will likely cause more harm than good.
Avoid hospitals and vaccines. I recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you’re having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to flu bugs.
From
mercola.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *