Considering the Flu Shot? Here Are Five Reasons to Think Twice

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

“Emelie Olsson is plagued by hallucinations and nightmares. When she wakes up, she’s often paralyzed, unable to breathe properly or call for help. During the day she can barely stay awake, and often misses school or having fun with friends. She is only 14, but at times she has wondered if her life is worth living.

“Emelie is one of around 800 children in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe who developed narcolepsy, an incurable sleep disorder, after being immunized with the made by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline in 2009.” ~ Reuters

An uptick in narcolepsy after the flu shot is not unusual — Finland, Norway, Ireland and France have seen dramatic increases since the Pandemrix H1N1 swine flu vaccine was introduced. In total, more than 30 million people in 47 countries were given the GSK shot during the 2009-2010 flu season. Independent researchers subsequently published peer-reviewed studies from Finland, Ireland and Sweden, showing the 2009-2010 influenza vaccination campaign increased the rate of narcolepsy by seven to thirteen times in children given the GSK shot, compared to their unvaccinated peers. Unfortunately, narcolepsy isn’t the only risk associated with the vaccine.

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An Unexpected Side-Effect

Prior to developing narcolepsy, Emelie was a top student who enjoyed tennis, playing the piano, making art and spending time with friends. However, a few months after she had the Pandemrix vaccine, her life changed forever.

In the beginning, she nor her parents suspected narcolepsy. It was simply a case of increased tiredness, where Emelie often needed to sleep when she came home from school. But then she began collapsing and it was clear something was seriously wrong.

The disease progressed beyond daytime sleepiness into nightmares, hallucinations, sleep paralysis and episodes of cataplexy — a sudden and dramatic loss of muscle strength triggered by strong emotions. She can no longer laugh or joke with her friends due to the disorder.

Goran Stiernstedt, a doctor turned public health official in Stockholm, Sweden, has poured over the data documenting what happened in his country during the 2009-2010 flu season, after the vaccine was introduced. “The big question is was it worth it? And retrospectively I have to say it was not,” he told Reuters in an interview.

Additional Dangers

Beyond narcolepsy, the flu vaccine can cause other severe complications, such as:

Fetal death

A study published in the journal Human and Experimental Toxicology found a 4,250% increase in the number of miscarriages and stillbirths during the 2009/2010 flu season. The researcher concluded: “[A] synergistic fetal toxicity likely resulted from the administration of both the pandemic (A-H1N1) and seasonal influenza vaccines during the 2009/2010 season.”

Contracting the Flu

Instead of protecting you from the flu, the vaccine can actually make you more susceptible to it. This study discovered that “a significant positive association between the seasonal influenza vaccine and lab confirmed H1N1 was observed.”

Viral Shedding

If you’re not concerned about increasing your own chances of getting the flu, consider that you can spread the disease to others if you decide to use the nasal spray vaccine.

According to the Centers for Disease Control:

“… children and adults vaccinated with live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) can shed vaccine viruses after vaccination, although in lower amounts than occur typically with shedding of wild-type influenza viruses.”

Neurotoxic Ingredients

Brain-damaging mercury is a common preservative in flu shots. Exposure to the heavy metal can cause depression, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, memory loss, attention deficit disorder and a host of other serious ailments.

“Tests conducted via ICP-MS document mercury in the Flulaval vaccine at a shocking 51 parts per million, or over 25,000 times higher than the maximum contaminant level of inorganic mercury in drinking water set by the EPA.

“The tests were conducted via ICP-MS using a 4-point mercury calibration curve for accuracy. Even then, the extremely high level of mercury found in this flu shot was higher than anything we’ve ever tested, including tuna and ocean fish which are known for high mercury contamination.” [source]

If you’re still unsure about the flu shot, have a look at the GlaxoSmithKline package insert for FluLaval and reported adverse events after vaccination [source]:

Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders: Lymphadenopathy.
Eye Disorders: Eye pain, photophobia.
Gastrointestinal Disorders: Dysphagia.
General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions: Chest pain, injection site inflammation, asthenia, injection site rash, abnormal gait, injection site bruising, injection site sterile abscess.
Immune System Disorders: Allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, angioedema.
Infections and Infestations: Rhinitis, laryngitis, cellulitis.
Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders: Muscle weakness, arthritis.
Nervous System Disorders: Dizziness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, hypokinesia, tremor, somnolence, syncopeGuillain-Barré syndrome, convulsions/seizures, facial or cranial nerve paralysis, encephalopathy, limb paralysis.
Psychiatric Disorders: Insomnia.
Respiratory, Thoracic, and Mediastinal Disorders: Dyspnea, dysphonia, bronchospasm, throat tightness.
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders: Urticaria, pruritus, sweating. Vascular Disorders: Flushing, pallor.

Alternatives to the Shot

If you would rather not risk the flu vaccine, there are plenty of safe methods to keep you and your family healthy throughout the influenza season. Here’re a few examples:

Elderberry

Rich in vitamins A and C, elderberry has a long history of use for promoting health. Well-known for its ability to prevent and treat upper respiratory infections and fever, research has shown 20% of individuals suffering from the flu experienced significant relief within 24 hours of consuming the extract. By the second day, 73% were on the mend, whereas an impressive 90% were completely cured within three days.

Additionally, a British in vitro study discovered the extract inhibited avian bird flu (H5N1) by ninety-nine percent. And Panama successfully used elderberry juice to treat the 1995 flu epidemic.

Liposomal C

Unlike high doses of vitamin C powder, liposome-encapsulated vitamin C will not create digestive distress or other negative side-effects. Dr. Thomas Levy adds “… liposomes, especially in the case of those containing vitamin C, rapidly load up the immune cells in the lymphatics of the gut, achieving high intracellular levels of this nutrient. Colloquially speaking, one could say this “supercharges” the immune system cells.” He also believes liposomal vitamin C is more effective than intravenous vitamin C in the case of acute viral syndrome.

For further support during the flu season, Dr. Mercola recommends 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day, eating fermented foods (kefir, kimchi, miso, pickles sauerkraut) as well as coconut/coconut oil, mushrooms (reishi, shiitake, maitake), turmeric, oregano, cinnamon and cloves. On top of that, keep on hand the following:

Oregano Oil: The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Carvacrol is the most active antimicrobial agent in oregano oil.

Propolis: A bee resin and one of the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world; propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important compounds that aid in immune response and even fight cancer.

A tea made from a combination of elderflower, yarrow, boneset, linden, peppermint and ginger; drink it hot and often for combating a cold or flu. It causes you to sweat, which is helpful for eradicating a virus from your system.

Olive leaf extract: Ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean cultures used it for a variety of health-promoting uses and it is widely known as a natural, non-toxic immune system builder.

Don’t forget to drink a good amount of purified water, get enough sleep, moderately exercise and reduce emotional stressors in your life to help boost immune response.

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