It is flu vaccine season, and all around us are the signs exhorting you to get your FREE flu vaccine. Well how effective are they. Not very, according to Dr. Thomas Jefferson of the Cochranes Field Vaccines. The Cochrane Group is a highly respected not for profit organization that scours all the studies in a given field to determine the evidence based effectiveness of medical procedures. And now for the second year in a row Dr. Jefferson is stating that the benefits ascribed to the flu vaccine are not justified. Jefferson says “there’s evidence proving these vaccines have little or no effect on things such as hospital stay, time off work, or even death resulting from influenza and its complications — especially in elderly people”. You can read the full article here.

http://vran.org/about-vaccines/specific-vaccines/influenza-vaccine-flu-shot/flu-vaccines-not-worth-the-bother/

There may also be dangers associated with getting a flu vaccine. A new report from the National Coalition of Organized Women has presented data showing that the 2009 H1N1 (remember that epidemic :-)) contributed to at least 1588  and perhaps as much as 3587 miscarriages and stillbirths. You can read more about that here.

http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/flu-vaccine-caused-3587-us-miscarriages-%20stillbirths/

In general our advice for the flu season is making sure your vitamin D level is above 60ng/ml and using ocsillococinum at the first sign of a cold. You may want to reread our August and October blogs from last year for more advice about homeopathic remedies for the flu.