 |
||||||
|
||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Have You Had Your SHOT Yet? December 2000 to April 2001 not only marks a time of holiday and cheer, but the threat of another flu season! And with the flu lurking about, there is no doubt we’ve all seen the aggressive ads for the Flu Vaccine. Like any other vaccine, many groups and organizations are touting the benefits and risks of the Flu Vaccine. The fact is, the decision to be vaccinated or not is an important and personal one that must be considered on an individual basis by everyone. When you receive a flu shot, or vaccine, you are actually getting a dose of the virus itself that has been chemically deactivated. The goal is to stimulate your immune system to develop antibodies that can be used against the virus, without causing the disease by injection of the virus. The flu vaccine is actually grown in chicken eggs. This is done by injecting a microscopic droplet of the flu virus into the air sac above the embryo and yolk. In 2-3 days the original droplet grows to provide a full tablespoon of vaccine, and the virus is ready! The tops of the eggs are lopped off and the virus is sucked out. The largest vaccine makers may use up to one hundred fifty thousand eggs at once from which they extract two hundred and fifty gallons of pure virus. To produce adequate supplies of the vaccine, the drug companies growing the virus must repeat this process dozens of times, using millions of eggs. Before it is ready to be used, the vaccine must also be purified, tested and approved by the FDA – a process that takes at least 6 months. Since flu shots are made available in the Fall, and drug companies need about six months to produce the vaccine, they need to decide in the Spring what virus they are going to grow for next season's flu shots. So this year’s flu shot is based on last year’s virus strains! Since the vaccine can hold protection for only some many strains let's hope the makers have guessed correctly what protection we need. What Is The FLU? Quite simply, the flu is an infection caused by a virus called the Influenza Virus. Anyone can get the Flu, but some people are more susceptible to the effects of the flu including children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with other illnesses such as cancer, heart and lung disease, or AIDS. For this reason, the “flu shot” is usually highly recommended for people who are 65 years of age or older, have chronic lung or heart disease, or live in institutions. The vaccine has a reported 60-70% success rate in preventing flu infection. There are three main types of Influenza Virus. Type A is the most common type, responsible for large outbreaks. This virus is constantly changing into new strains inside the body of the individual infected. This means that “new” viruses are continuously being created. Types B and C are more stable viruses and cause smaller outbreaks. Because the influenza virus changes every season, people who receive the flu vaccine would have to have another shot every year for continued protection, as each year the flu vaccine is “updated” with new virus strains – or those that have been identified! Also, the flu vaccine only provides its limited protection for approximately six months. What Are The Symptoms Of The Flu? In general, people who have the flu can experience fever, clammy skin, sore throat, cough (with or without mucous), stuffy nose with nasal discharge, muscle aches and stiffness, shortness of breath, chills, sweating, fatigue, malaise, loss of appetite and an altered taste sensation. What Are The Side Effects Of The Flu Vaccine? This is probably the area where most controversy lies! Organizations promoting the Flu Vaccine state that there is no chance of getting the flu from the flu shot, although they admit that the flu shot may cause soreness or redness at the injection site, and a slight fever or minor muscle aches. People who are allergic to eggs should not have a flu shot because the vaccine’s viruses are grown in eggs for the purpose of developing the vaccine. Other groups vehemently stress the many harmful side effects of vaccines, including the Flu Vaccine. These groups report very serious reactions experienced by a disturbing number of persons, many of which are babies and children. This publicity has led to a growing number of medical professionals and concerned groups demanding that more study and attention be given to the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations. The FDA Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) receives reports on thousands of adverse reactions to vaccines ranging from permanent disability, autism, immune dysfunction and death. This database can be searched for individual vaccines on the Internet at http://www.fedbuzz.com/vaccine/vac.html How Is The Flu Spread?The Influenza virus is spread through respiratory secretions (coughing, sneezing), and usually takes 1-4 days to establish an infection once it has entered your body. These secretions can also contaminate hands, air and other surfaces. The infection usually lasts about one week, during which time the infected person is contagious, although some individuals may be ill or contagious for longer periods of time. How Can I Treat Or Prevent The Flu Naturally? The most well known natural therapy for the treatment or prevention of the flu is Echinacea. Echinacea has become a household name in recent years, and even pharmaceutical companies are starting to add it to their drug preparations. Echinacea is one of the most researched stimulants of the immune system. Its use dates back to 1885, when at least 14 different tribes of Native American Indians used Echinacea for coughs, colds, sore throats, infections, toothaches, inflammations, tonsillitis, snake bites and other illnesses! Even though the American Medical Association dismissed the benefits of Echinacea in 1910, its popularity continued to grow to become the best selling herbal medicinal tincture in America, and continues to be widely used around the world. To date, many scientific studies have validated Echinacea as a powerful immune stimulating herb, with the ability to fight both bacteria and viruses that invade the body. Echinacea has also been shown to increase the body’s number of immune cells, and stimulate the production of substances in the body known as “Interferon” and “Tumor Necrosis Factor” which are important players in the immunes system as well as the body’s response against cancer. Echinacea has been shown to inhibit the production of certain enzymes secreted by bacteria (such as hyaluronidase), thus preventing the bacteria from attacking the body’s cells. In addition, Echinacea has been reported to kill yeast, stop the growth of bacteria, reduce inflammation, and help stimulate the growth of new tissue to support the healing of wounds. In the combat of cold and flu, Echinacea is most effective when taken at the first sign of symptoms. Echinacea has an excellent safety record. After over 100 years of use, no toxicity or side effects have been reported except rare allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. The typical daily dose for cold cycle susceptibility periods is 500-1,000mg; however, many people take Echinacea as a daily supplement throughout the flu season to boost their immune systems and prevent cold and flu. When taking this and many other herbs, herb “breaks” are recommended where the user discontinues use of the herb for one week every 4-6 weeks. You should discuss the best dosage of this product or any other therapy with your health care practitioner. Other useful natural remedies for cold and flu relief...
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other Gift Ideas and Post Holiday Stress-Busters From www.strictlynatural.com Checkout other Newsletters on Strictly Natural
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
XRamp SSL Certification |