It is Flu Season! What to do? What about that flu vaccine?

Mark Hyman, MD, leading clinician and educator of Functional Medicine, addresses the issue of the vaccine: “The Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group of scientists who have no link to any industry or government agencies …states that after analyzing all of the data on the flu shot, they have concluded that it really doesn’t work well. It doesn’t even cover most of the influenza infections that people get.”

But……..who should get the vaccine?  Dr. Hyman recommends “For people who are debilitated, people with respiratory or developmental problems, and for people who are prone to getting very sick and could die from the flu, I think it’s worth getting the shot.”

Martha Grout, MD, MD(H), of the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine adds that “There are two types of influenza vaccine:
•  Inactivated – vaccine made with killed virus material and thimerosal, and injected into the muscle. Usually dispensed from multi-use injectable bottles and thimerosal (mercury) is used as a preservative.  You can request a single dose vial to avoid getting the mercury, a neurotoxin.

•  Live, attenuated (LAIV) – weakened influenza vaccine and sprayed into the nostrils. These viruses can survive in the nose and throat long enough to trigger the immune reaction that fights off flu, but will be killed by the higher temperatures in the lower respiratory tract. It does not contain thimerosal. The CDC describes this as “an option for healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.”

People with egg allergies shouldn’t get the shot because the vaccine is manufactured using eggs. Also, the shot is not recommended for babies under 6 months. The LAIV form is not recommended for children under age 5 with asthma, pregnant women, or those with a weakened immune system (especially cancer, bone marrow transplants), nor for people with various chronic diseases – the list includes Guillain-Barré Syndrome, heart disease, and cerebral palsy.”

So, how can we prevent the flu?  Dr. Grout addresses the issue with these suggestions:

1. Wash your hands!  A lot! 

2. Sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.  People don’t always wash their hands and then touch surfaces, shake hands, etc.

3. Find out what your vitamin D level is. Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council first introduced the hypothesis in 2006 that influenza is just a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. His papers were subsequently confirmed by a large study of 19,000 people that found that those with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or flu.

 4. Eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruits to support your immune system.  Even though it is the holiday, endeavor to eat less sugar than usual as it can lower your immune system.

Dr. Hyman adds these tips:  drink plenty of fluid as the heated air is drier, eat protein with each meal, get plenty of sleep! And……exercise to support your immune system.

Our next column will be a closer look at supporting your immune system and various flu treatment strategies.

You might want to use the contact form on this site to write in your questions.

Mark Hyman, MD, leading clinician and educator of Functional Medicine, addresses the issue of the vaccine: “The Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group of scientists who have no link to any industry or government agencies …states that after analyzing all of the data on the flu shot, they have concluded that it really doesn’t work well. It doesn’t even cover most of the influenza infections that people get.”

But……..who should get the vaccine?  Dr. Hyman recommends “For people who are debilitated, people with respiratory or developmental problems, and for people who are prone to getting very sick and could die from the flu, I think it’s worth getting the shot.”

Martha Grout, MD, MD(H), of the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine adds that “There are two types of influenza vaccine:
•  Inactivated – vaccine made with killed virus material and thimerosal, and injected into the muscle. Usually dispensed from multi-use injectable bottles and thimerosal (mercury) is used as a preservative.  You can request a single dose vial to avoid getting the mercury, a neurotoxin.

•  Live, attenuated (LAIV) – weakened influenza vaccine and sprayed into the nostrils. These viruses can survive in the nose and throat long enough to trigger the immune reaction that fights off flu, but will be killed by the higher temperatures in the lower respiratory tract. It does not contain thimerosal. The CDC describes this as “an option for healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.”

People with egg allergies shouldn’t get the shot because the vaccine is manufactured using eggs. Also, the shot is not recommended for babies under 6 months. The LAIV form is not recommended for children under age 5 with asthma, pregnant women, or those with a weakened immune system (especially cancer, bone marrow transplants), nor for people with various chronic diseases – the list includes Guillain-Barré Syndrome, heart disease, and cerebral palsy.”

So, how can we prevent the flu?  Dr. Grout addresses the issue with these suggestions:

1. Wash your hands!  A lot! 

2. Sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.  People don’t always wash their hands and then touch surfaces, shake hands, etc.

3. Find out what your vitamin D level is. Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council first introduced the hypothesis in 2006 that influenza is just a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. His papers were subsequently confirmed by a large study of 19,000 people that found that those with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or flu.

 4. Eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruits to support your immune system.  Even though it is the holiday, endeavor to eat less sugar than usual as it can lower your immune system.

Dr. Hyman adds these tips:  drink plenty of fluid as the heated air is drier, eat protein with each meal, get plenty of sleep! And……exercise to support your immune system.

Our next column will be a closer look at supporting your immune system and various flu treatment strategies.

You might want to use the contact form on this site to write in your questions.