Protecting yourself from swine flu without vaccination

The mere mention of swine flu (now called H1N1) is enough to give us the shivers. People are making a dash for the nearest clinic to get their flu shot. So, have you had your flu shot yet?

Before you head out the door, read this: Last April 27, Time magazine came out with an article which tackles how dozens of people died and hundreds were injured from vaccines as a result of the 1976 swine flu fiasco, when the Ford administration attempted to use the infection of soldiers at Fort Dix as a pretext for a mass vaccination of the entire country.

As you now know, what we have now is the not the first swine flu panic. Relates health activist Dr. Joseph Mercola, “… this isn’t the first time the public has been warned about swine flu. The last time was in 1976, right before I entered medical school and I remember it very clearly. It resulted in the massive swine flu vaccine campaign.”

What was the offshoot of this massive campaign?

“Within a few months, claims totaling $1.3 billion had been filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the vaccine. The vaccine was also blamed for 25 deaths,” says Mercola. “Several hundred people developed the crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome after they were injected with the swine flu vaccine. Even healthy 20-year-olds ended up as paraplegics.”

Meanwhile, the swine flu pandemic never materialized.

In assorted publications, including New York Times, flu experts admit they have no idea whether the current seasonal flu vaccine would offer any protection whatsoever against this exotic mutant, and it will take months to create a new one, according to Mercola.

He adds, “But let me tell you, getting vaccinated now would not only offer no protection and potentially cause great harm, it would most likely be loaded with toxic mercury which is used as a preservative in most flu vaccines.”

Mercola, who’s written extensively about the numerous dangers — and ineffectiveness — of flu vaccines, and why he will not recommend them to anyone, stresses. “So no matter what you hear — even if it comes from your doctor — don’t get a regular flu shot. They rarely work against seasonal flu ... and certainly can’t offer protection against a never-before-seen strain. And, once a specific swine flu drug is created, you can be sure that it has not had the time to be tested in clinical trials to determine safety and effectiveness, which puts us right back where I started.”

Yes, you can protect yourself from the threat of a flu pandemic — real or not — without vaccination. A walking advertisement of his natural health crusade, Dr. Mercola reveals, “I have not caught a flu in over two decades, and you can avoid it, too, by following these simple guidelines, which will keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you’re far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with.”

• Optimize your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is likely the culprit behind the seasonality of the flu, not the flu virus itself.

This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. Dr. Mercola strongly prescribes that you have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng.ml.

• Avoid sugar and processed foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you probably know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness. Know that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.

• Get enough rest. Just as it’s harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, it will be harder for your body to ward off the flu if it’s overly fatigued. So get a really good quality rest.

• Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads.

• Take a good source of animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and found in processed foods as they will seriously damage your immune response.

• Wash your hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth, or other people. Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this —- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.

• Eat garlic regularly. Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body. And unlike with antibiotics, you don’t develop resistance against garlic so it’s safe to use. However, if you are allergic or don’t enjoy garlic, it would be best to avoid as it will likely cause more harm than good.

• Avoid hospitals and vaccines. Stay away from hospitals unless you’re having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to this new bug. Vaccines will not be available for six months at the minimum but when available, they will be ineffective and can lead to crippling paralysis like Guillain-Barré Syndrome just as it did in the ’70s.

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