Well...first, it isn't a season. So, then, that leaves the question; what is the flu?! It is merely an inability to adapt due to decreased sun exposure (vitamin D) and water intake, combined with an increase in sugar and stress. Causing the body to allow viruses, such as influenza, to invade the body.
Currently, there are three different types of influenza. A, B, and C. Influenza A and B are the most common type to infect humans. Influenza A can be divided into different serotypes based on two major virus surface proteins, hemagglutinin(HA) and neuraminidase(NA). There are 16 different types of HA and 9 different types of NA, potentially making 144 different subtypes of the influenza A viruses. https://www.clintoncountypa.com/Pandemic%20Information/Influenzavirustypes.pdf
New flu vaccines being made constantly, never for the same virus, always a guess for which strain, and the vaccines cause mutations, making new strains!
"The FluMist influenza vaccine strains replicate in the nasopharynx and can be recovered and cultured from respiratory secretions of vaccinated individuals (shed). The pattern and duration of shedding is important to understand because with prolonged shedding at high titer there is a theoretical risk of loss of attenuated phenotype, reassortment with wild-type influenza virus during influenza season, and transmission of vaccine virus to unvaccinated people, some of whom may be immuno-compromised and/or at risk for complications of live viral infections. “ “additional shedding samples collected every 7 days ... though some individuals shed vaccine strain virus as late as day 28”. https://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/UCM259175.pdf
So how are flu vaccines made? There are three different manufacturing processes for making flu vaccines; egg-based, cell-based, and recombinant.
"The most common way that flu vaccines are made is using an egg-based manufacturing process that has been used for more than 70 years. Egg-based vaccine manufacturing is used to make both inactivated (killed) vaccine (usually called the “flu shot”) and live attenuated (weakened) vaccine(usually called the “nasal spray”).
The egg-based production process begins with CDC or another laboratory partner in the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System providing private sector manufacturers with candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) grown in eggs per current FDA regulatory requirements. These CVVs are then injected into fertilized hen’s eggs and incubated for several days to allow the viruses to replicate. The virus-containing fluid is harvested from the eggs. For flu shots, the influenza viruses for the vaccine are then inactivated (killed), and virus antigen is purified. The manufacturing process continues with purification and testing. For the attenuated nasal spray vaccine, the starting CVVs are weakened viruses and go through a different production process. FDA tests and approves vaccines prior to release and shipment.
There are many different manufacturers that use this production technology to make flu vaccines for use in the United States. This production method requires large numbers of chicken eggs to produce vaccine and usually takes longer than other methods used to produce vaccine." https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/how-fluvaccine-made.htm
That is just the process of manufacturing, so what else is in a flu vaccine?
That all depends on the manufacturer and the process used to make the vaccine.
Here is a list of flu vaccines, their manufacturers, what culture media was used, and the excipients; straight from the CDC; Influenza vaccine (Afluria): Chicken embryo, Beta-propiolactone, calcium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate, egg protein, monobasic potassium phosphate, monobasic sodium phosphate, neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B, potassium chloride, sodium taurodeoxychoalate, thimerosal (multi-dose vials only). Influenza vaccine (Agriflu): Chicken embryo, Egg proteins, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, neomycin sulfate, kanamycin. Influenza vaccine (Fluarix): Chicken embryo, Formaldehyde, octoxynol-10 (Triton X-100), α-tocopheryl hydrogen succinate, polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), hydrocortisone, gentamicin sulfate, ovalbumin, sodium deoxycholate, sucrose, phosphate buffer. Influenza vaccine (Flublok): insect cell line (expresSF+®), Monobasic sodium phosphate, dibasic sodium phosphate, polysorbate 20, baculovirus and host cell proteins, baculovirus and cellular DNA, Triton X-100, lipids, vitamins, amino acids, mineral salts. Influenza vaccine (Flucelvax): Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK), cell protein Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell protein, MDCK cell DNA, polysorbate 80, cetyltrimethlyammonium bromide, β-propiolactone, phosphate buffer. Influenza vaccine (Flulaval): Chicken embryo, Formaldehyde, á-tocopheryl hydrogen succinate, polysorbate 80, sodium deoxycholate, thimerosal, ovalbumin. Influenza vaccine (Fluvirin): Chicken embryo, Beta-propiolactone, egg protein, neomycin, nonylphenol ethoxylate, polymyxin, thimerosal (multi-dose containers), thimerosal (single-dose syringes). Influenza vaccine (Fluzone): Chicken embryo, Egg protein, formaldehyde, gelatin (standard formulation only), octylphenol ethoxylate (Triton X-100), sodium phosphate, thimerosal (multi-dose containers only). Influenza vaccine (FluMist): Chicken kidney cells, chicken embryo, Arginine, dibasic potassium phosphate, egg protein, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, gentamicin sulfate, hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, monobasic potassium phosphate monosodium glutamate, sucrose.
Ingredient list: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf
Vaccine components: http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/components.htm
That's a lot of ingredients and a lot of which people are allergic to and they don't even know that these substances are being injected into their bodies!
Also, some people should absolutely not be vaccinated!
(Again, straight from the CDC)
Anyone with a severe allergy to chicken eggs or any of the ingredients in the vaccine (but they won't tell you what the ingredients are, you have to find that out yourself), anyone with a history of a severe reaction to flu vaccination (but what if you have never had the vaccine, you don't know if you'll have a reaction), anyone with a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever and people with a history of Guillain–Barré Syndrome should not receive the live or inactivated influenza vaccine (GBS is listed as an adverse event on flu vaccine package inserts and GBS has been reported to VAERS, the vaccine adverse event reporting system, after vaccination with the flu vaccine).
People who have any long-term heart, breathing, kidney, liver, or nervous system problems, have asthma or breathing problems, children who have wheezing episodes, pregnant women, a child or adolescent who is receiving aspirin or aspirin-containing products, anyone with a weakened immune system and anyone who will be visiting or taking care of someone, within the next 7 days, who requires a protected environment (for example, following a bone marrow transplant) should not receive the live influenza vaccine.
Influenza Outbreak in a Fully Vaccinated Population
Effectiveness of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in influenza-related hospitalization in children: a case-control study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22525386
Ineffective flu vaccines: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/flu-vaccine-protect-flu-strain/story?id=27392548
Increased risk of noninfluenza respiratory virus infections associated with receipt of inactivated influenza vaccine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22423139
Comparison of VAERS fetal-loss reports during three consecutive influenza seasons. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3888271/
Reported moderate reactions to influenza vaccine include fever, local reactions (pain, redness, swelling at the site of the injection), headache, fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion, cough, joint and muscle pain, and nausea. Reported serious complications include brain inflammation, convulsions, Bell’s palsy, limb paralysis, neuropathy, shock, wheezing/asthma, and other breathing problems. Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a disabling neurological disorder that involves temporary or permanent paralysis that can lead to death and has been causally related to influenza vaccinations.
As of September 1, 2020, there have been 6,441 claims filed in the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) for injuries and deaths following influenza vaccination, including 188 deaths and 6,256 serious injuries.
Using the MedAlerts search engine, as of July 31, 2020, there have been more than 176,294 reports of influenza vaccine reactions, hospitalizations, injuries, and deaths following influenza vaccinations made to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including 1,748 related deaths, 14,062 hospitalizations, and 3,558 related disabilities. In 2013 the Federal Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) voted to add GBS to the Vaccine Injury Table within the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).
So if you shouldn't or don't get a flu shot, how are you going to keep from getting the flu you may ask! Here is a shortlist of some of the simple things you can do to keep yourself healthy from not only the flu but other illnesses as well!
5 Top Ways to Boost Your Immune Health and Stay Flu-Free
"If you want to join the ranks of "those people" who rarely get sick, start with the strategies listed below. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does give you a general idea of how to live healthily and avoid getting sick. Other factors, like getting high-quality sleep and avoiding exposure to environmental toxins, are important too, but if you're looking for a few simple "secrets" to get started on today … start with these …
Optimize Your Vitamin D. This takes the number one position for a reason: if you're vitamin-D-deficient, and many are, your immune system will not activate to do its job. Just one example of an important gene that vitamin D up-regulates is your ability to fight infections, including the flu. It produces over 200 antimicrobial peptides, the most important of which is cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic. At least five studies show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D levels. That is the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections. To find out more, including your best sources of vitamin D, dosing and what proper levels should be, please watch my free one-hour lecture. The best way to increase your vitamin D level is by sun exposure but that is difficult for most people in the fall and winter, so the next best would be to use a safe tanning bed. Neither of these methods requires blood testing as long as you are getting enough exposure to get a tan. The least good way to increase your vitamin D level is by swallowing it, which will require a blood test to confirm your level is correct. Most adults require 8,000 units to reach therapeutic levels and much more. Although that may sound too high to some, remember you can get up to 20,000 units through sun or tanning bed exposures.
Optimize Your Insulin and Leptin Levels by Avoiding Sugar, Fructose. Eating sugar, fructose and grains will increase your insulin level, which is one of the fastest ways to get sick and also experience premature aging. Leptin is another heavyweight hormone associated with disease and the aging process. Like your insulin levels, if your leptin levels become elevated, your body systems will develop a resistance to this hormone, which will wreak havoc in your body. My nutrition plan, based on natural whole foods, is your first step toward optimizing your insulin and leptin levels and increasing your chances of living a longer, healthier life. The heart of my program is the elimination, or at the very least, a drastic reduction of fructose, grains, and sugar in your diet, which is also important for flu prevention because sugar decreases the function of your immune system.
Exercise. If you are exercising regularly, just as if your vitamin D levels are optimized, the likelihood of your acquiring the flu or other viral illness decreases quite dramatically, and studies have clearly shown this. In one such study, staying active cut the risk of having a cold by 50 percent, and cut the severity of symptoms by 31 percent among those who did catch a cold. The researchers noted that each round of exercise may lead to a boost in circulating immune system cells that could help ward off a virus. It's a well-known fact that exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. The job of these cells is to neutralize pathogens throughout your body. The better these cells circulate, the more efficient your immune system is at locating and defending against viruses and diseases trying to attack your body. Since exercise has repeatedly been proven to benefit your immune system over the long haul, it's crucial to treat exercise like a drug that must be properly prescribed, monitored, and maintained for you to enjoy the most benefits. Essentially, you need to have a varied, routine that includes high-intensity interval exercises like Peak Fitness.
Eat Plenty of Raw Food. One of the most important aspects of a healthy diet that is frequently overlooked is the issue of eating your food uncooked, in its natural raw state. Unfortunately, as you may be aware, over 90 percent of the food purchased by Americans is processed. And when you're consuming these kinds of denatured and chemically altered foods, it's no surprise we have an epidemic of chronic and degenerative diseases, not to mention way too many cases of colds and flu. Ideally, you'll want to eat as many foods as possible in their unprocessed state; typically organic, biodynamic foods that have been grown locally, and are therefore in season. But even when you choose the best foods available you can destroy most of the nutrition if you cook them. I believe it's really wise to strive to get as much raw food in your diet as possible. I personally try to eat about 80 percent of my food raw, including raw eggs and organic, naturally raised meats.
Learn How to Effectively Cope With Stress. Stress has a major influence on the function of your immune system, which is why you've probably noticed you're more likely to catch a cold or the flu when you're under a lot of stress. This is true for both acute stressful episodes, such as preparing a big project for work and chronic stress, such as relationship troubles or grief. Both will deteriorate your immune system and leave it less able to fight off infectious agents. And, in the event you do get sick, emotional stressors can actually make your cold and flu symptoms worse. So be sure you take time in life to de-stress and unwind using stress management tools like exercise, meditation, massage, and solid social support.
Following these guidelines will help you optimize both your health and immune function, and by doing so minimize your risk of the flu and other infectious diseases."
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