NEXT YEARS’ FLU VACCINE?



This fall’s “flu season” is going to be a fun one.  Most of us are aware that the coming years’ flu vaccine is an estimate of what the experts think will be the prevalent strains based on the prior years’ strains.  Some years they are right, some years they are completely wrong.

Turns out, next seasons’ flu vaccine will be the exact same as last years.  The wheels are already turning to make sure next years vaccination rates are higher than last years (which were record numbers, likely attributable to the readily accessible flu vaccination at drug stores, drive through shot clinics and full service gas stations).

So why promote last years vaccine to those who already got it?  There is really only one good answer….  It really doesn’t work that well.

Keep in mind that when our body is exposed to a threat, the resulting immunity can be lifelong, although even this begins to wane over the decades.  But essentially, if you had measles or chicken pox as a child, you will not get them again.  That’s how our body’s immune system works.  And vaccination is designed to mimic the way our body responds, right?  At least that’s the theory.  Turns out this ain’t quite true and we are truly seeing the foot in the mouth this year.

The arguments “for” getting vaccinated again are twofold from the “experts.”  First, immunity from a single shot is far from perfect.  Getting a second “booster” shot will strengthen this response.  Second, the immunity from the shot only lasts for a short period of time. 

Either pales in comparison to taking good care of yourself and your immune system as well as making sure your are taking enough Vitamin D and adding probiotics.  All these has strong support in the medical literature and have a wide variety of additional benefits, which the flu vaccine does NOT provide.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6021a5.htm?s_cid=mm6021a5_e&source=govdelivery

James Bogash

For more than a decade, Dr. Bogash has stayed current with the medical literature as it relates to physiology, disease prevention and disease management. He uses his knowledge to educate patients, the community and cyberspace on the best way to avoid and / or manage chronic diseases using lifestyle and targeted supplementation.







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