Why we say NO to the Flu Shot

Fall is here!  Along with pumpkin spiced everything popping up everywhere, I am also seeing signs for “Get your Flu shot HERE!”  It is that time of year – winter is around the corner and despite what most people say, Flu is not a season!  Have you seen this photo floating around social media?  I love it!

 

I can't remember the last time I (or my children) received a flu shot.  But why?  When main stream media clearly touts that Flu shots are the best way to prevent the flu every year, why do we opt out?  As you well know I advocate knowing thy farmer, reading labels, and being intentional with what we put in and on our bodies.  After some quick research on the flu vaccine, its ingredients as well as its efficacy, I feel that personally we are better off without it.

Ingredients we wish to avoid!

The flu shot contains numerous toxins that do not belong in our bodies.  This isn't a secret – the ingredients are listed for your viewing right on the CDC website.  The following is a list of common ingredients that are found in vaccines.  You have the right to request the vaccine insert at any doctor's appointment prior to receiving any vaccine.

2-Phenoxyethanol is an anti-bacterial agent being used as a replacement for the preservative Thimerosal (mercury). It's considered a very toxic material that could cause a boatload of side effects, including behavioral disorders, vomiting, diarrhea, visual disturbances, convulsions, rapid heart rate, central nervous system disorders, depression, kidney, liver and blood disorders, and reproductive defects.

Aluminum shows up in vaccines in many forms – like aluminum phosphate, aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate and aluminum hydroxide, to name a few. It works as an “adjuvant” to stimulate your immune system's response to the virus in the vaccine. 

The problem is, aluminum is a particularly dangerous neurotoxin. It has the ability to slip past your body's natural defenses and enter your brain – potentially causing brain damage, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, convulsions, and coma. Human and animal studies have shown that aluminum can even cause nerve death. 

The government is well aware of aluminum's toxic nature – it's actually recognized as a hazardous chemical on two different federal regulatory lists.

Ammonium Sulfate is a substance commonly added to pesticides. It's not known at this time if it's cancer-causing, but it has been suspected of gastrointestinal, liver, nervous system and respiratory system toxicity.

Beta-Propiolactone ranks high as a hazardous chemical on at least five federal regulatory lists. It caused lymphomas and hepatomas after being injected into lab mice, but its true effect on humans is not known. Due to animal study results, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified beta-propiolactone as a possible human carcinogen.

Formaldehyde is used as a preservative to stabilize the vaccine. It's a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that's mostly used in industry to manufacture building materials and produce many household products.

Formaldehyde is suspected of weakening the immune system and causing neurological system damage, genetic damage, metabolic acidosis (excessive blood acidity), circulatory shock, respiratory insufficiency, and acute renal (kidney) failure. It's been classified as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by IARC and is ranked as one of the most hazardous compounds on at least eight federal regulatory lists.

Formalin helps preserve the vaccine. It's a mixture of formaldehyde, methanol and water. It's mostly used to preserve tissue samples in health care laboratories and presents the same danger to your health as formaldehyde does.

Gentamicin Sulfate is an antibiotic that ‘s been known to cause deafness or loss of equilbrioception (sense of balance). It can also be highly nephrotoxic (damage your kidneys) if multiple doses accumulate over time.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) excites and poisons your cells and tissues. It's used as a stabilizer in vaccines and is also found in many processed foods.

MRC-5 Cellular Protein is human diploid cells taken from aborted human fetuses. They're used as a culture to grow the virus.

Neomycin is an antibiotic that has been shown to have multiple effects on your body. It can be a neurotoxin and an ototoxin (affect hearing and balance). It also can cause respiratory paralysis, kidney damage and kidney failure. Plus, it retards your vitamin B6 absorption, sometimes leading to mental retardation and epilepsy. Some allergic reactions to neomycin can be life threatening.

Octoxinol-9 is a vaginal spermicide.

Phenol is included in vaccines to help stimulate immune response. Instead, it does the opposite – by inhibiting phagocytic activity. Phagocytes are your body's first line of defense. They engulf and digest antigens and activate the other elements of your immune system. Phenol's phagocytic-inhibiting effect actually hinders your immune system from properly dealing with the pathogens that are entering your body through the vaccine.

Phenol is used in the production of drugs, weed killers and synthetic resins, so you can imagine the effect it has on the human body. It's considered to be toxic to your cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nervous, reproductive and respiratory systems, your liver, your kidneys, and your skin.

Polymyxin B is an antibiotic with some nasty side effects – neurotoxicity and acute renal tubular necrosis (the most common cause of kidney failure).

Polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) works as a stabilizer in the vaccine. It's used in a wide variety of products including ice cream, milk products, vitamin tablets, lotions and creams and medical products like vaccines and anti-cancer medications. 

But it's not as safe as it sounds. According to the December 2005 issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, polysorbate 80 can affect your immune system and cause severe anaphylactic shock, which can kill. It also causes cancer in animals.

Streptomycin is an antibiotic. Its main side effect is ototoxicity – the loss of hearing.

Thimerosal is used as a preservative in the vaccine. It contains 49.6% mercury by weight and has been implicated in many health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, autism, seizures, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia, and many more nervous system conditions.

The U.S. Government is well-aware of mercury's health hazards. In 1999, they instructed vaccine manufacturers to remove it from their vaccines – and many did. However, you can still find this dangerous toxin in smaller quantities in vaccines on the market today.

The thing is, even “mercury free” vaccines can contain 0.05 mcg of mercury, which is enough to permanently damage a susceptible infant. To make matter even worse, mercury accumulates in fat – especially in the fat cells of your brain – so multiple doses of vaccines received over the years can cause it to build to dangerous levels in your body.

Plus, the inclusion of aluminum and even formaldehyde with the mercury in the vaccine magnifies the problem. Aluminum can make the mercury 100 times more toxic. Toss in formaldehyde as well, and one independent study found that mercury toxicity was increased by 1,000 times.

Source

First of all, yuck!  Just reading that list is scary.  And after reading the warnings from the CDC and further research on each individual ingredient and the possible side effects pretty much decides it for me.  No thanks.  I would rather take my chances with the flu than purposefully put those things into my body and my children's bodies.  

It doesn't really work

I often hear, “I didn't get the flu shot last year and I got the flu!  I won't make that mistake again!”  According to a study the flu shot really only prevents the flu in 1.5 out of 100 people.  So, most of those who received the flu shot aren't even protected.  This article does a good job sorting through that study and explaining the statistics better than I ever could.  

What I have learned over time is that the flu vaccine is a gamble.  Personally, the negative side effects from the ingredients in the vaccine far outweigh any possible benefit I could get from it.  

So what do we do instead?

Our immune systems are so important to keep in tip top shape!  There are many things we do in our home to support our immune system so that it can keep us well!  The goal is to avoid getting sick in the first place and if we do happen to get sick, we can heal and recover quickly.

Eat Real Food

Eating real foods that are packed full of nourishing ingredients is the number one way we support our immune systems!  Processed foods and sugar can weaken the immune system.  Eating fermented foods and drinking bone broth are so good for the gut!  80% of the immune system lies in the gut!  Taking care of this amazing organ can ensure that it can take care of us!  In addition to the fermented foods, we also take a probiotic supplement.

Essential Oils

Thieves Essential oil is a Young Living blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, rosemary, and eucalyptus essential oils.  This blend is incredibly good and supporting the immune system.  I like to diffuse this daily in our home during the winter – it makes our home smell like the holidays!  I also like to use essential oils in my Immune Support Recipe that I take occasionally.  You can order Thieves and the other essential oils from Young Living Essential Oils.

Ningxia Red

NingXia Red is a great addition to the immune support regiment.  It is a powerful antioxidant drink made from wolfberry (goji) juice, blueberry juice, pomegranate juice, apricot juice, raspberry juice and Lemon and Orange essential.  We usually take 1 to 2 ounces per day.  My kids LOVE it!  NingXia red supports immune function, liver function and eye health and is reported to increase energy.  You can order NingXia Red through Young Living essential oils.

I believe food as well as all of the other things that we put in and on our bodies have the ability to affect our immune systems!  Avoiding toxins in our beauty products like soaps, deodorants, lotions, etc, can also be beneficial to our bodies!

What do you do to support your immune systems this time of year?

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