Some people think that the natural way of building up immunity to illness is to acquire it and then fight it off. But influenza is a serious respiratory disease that can lead to more serious conditions like pneumonia, bronchitis, or emphysema. It is also contagious, thereby putting your loved ones, neighbors and coworkers at risk should you get it and go about your daily life. And the infection affects the whole body, making you miserable for a week or two until it passes.
Others aren’t interested in the flu vaccine because they think it will weaken their immune systems. Nothing can be further from the truth. By introduction of weakened or dead virus types, one’s body is spurred on to create antibodies to fight off these viruses.
There’s a misconception that pregnant women shouldn’t get the flu vaccine. In fact, it is safe for infants older than six months, immune-system compromised individuals and pregnant women. In fact, it is safer for these groups to get vaccinated rather than get the flu because it could set off further medical problems. But one must keep in mind that for this group, nasal sprays are to be avoided. Nasal sprays contain weakened, or attenuated, form of the virus, not dead forms.
Then there’s the myth about dangerous chemicals in the vaccines. Thimerosal is one of those. It is believed to be allied with mercury by those who are against vaccinations. But it is one letter different from the kind of mercury found in fish that can accumulate in the human body. Thimerosal breaks down within a week and then is eliminated.
Formaldehyde is another “dangerous” chemical tainting flu vaccines. This compound is used to inactivate the virus so it cannot make anyone sick. It also occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables. A banana has more formaldehyde than a flu shot. Also, our body manufactures formaldehyde for the creation of amino acids. We have more naturally circulating formaldehyde in our blood than is present in a shot. So an inoculation will make little difference to a healthy body.