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A nasal spray influenza vaccine is being offered as an alternative to injections. This cultivated live virus is so concentrated that the person receiving it can infect others with the flu virus for three weeks after getting the vaccine. Once a person receives this spray, that person begins to shed flu virus cells. In practical terms, any time you are around someone that has received this form of vaccine -- at the grocery store, at the local pharmacy, at school, at work or other social gathering -- you risk being exposed to an artificially introduced and powerful form of the flu virus. Even if you haven’t been around a person that is sick with the flu, you could become ill from such an exposure.
Large portions of the population do not receive the flu vaccine and, in doing so, avoid having antifreeze, carbolic acid, formaldehyde, aluminum, mercury, and things grown in monkey, chicken, guinea pig, calf or embryonic cells injected into their system. Unfortunately, the administration of live virus in the form of an intranasal influenza vaccine is capable of contributing to an increased incidence of the flu among the general population.
Families with persons that are immunocompromised need to be very alert to this danger. The vaccine manufacturer warns recipients of the spray to avoid being around immunocompromised individuals. This may seem like a simple matter until you realize that immunocompromized individuals include: people with eczema, cancer, organ recipients, or people with (possibly undiagnosed) HIV or AIDS. Add to this number those individuals that are on medications such as corticosteroids that suppress immune response. These include medications given for allergies, asthma, emphysema, eczema, Crohn’s disease, herniated spinal discs, multiple sclerosis, acute muscular pain or any type of rheumatoid or autoimmune disease. A very large percentage of the population can be considered chemically immunosuppressed.
Some people have concluded that the real danger to the population is that unvaccinated people become sick when exposed to those who receive this nasal spray. Their belief is that the entire population should be willing to have annual injections or sprays in hopes of avoiding a flu strain which they most likely wouldn’t have been exposed to if it weren’t for this spray. This is a form of logic to which I cannot adhere.
A healthy immune system is your best defense against a multitude of illnesses. Once you’re sick however, some illnesses can actually use your powerful immune system against you. This is known as a Cytokine Storm.
WHAT IS A CYTOKINE STORM? Messengers in your body that regulate your immune response to sickness are called cytokines. When cytokines over-stimulate your immune system to produce an exaggerated response to a pathogen, a Cytokine Storm has begun.
Cytokine storms can cause great physical harm. High fever, inflammation and redness along with nausea and weakness are symptoms of a cytokine storm. If the storm is located in the lungs, the combination of overwhelming mucus and inflammation could block airways and cause death. Many believe that the cytokine storm response was what caused the deaths of so many young adults in the 1918 influenza pandemic.
AVOID IMMUNE BOOSTERS DURING A CYTOKINE STORM At the first sign of serious viral infection, herbs and foods which boost the immune response should be avoided. These include herbs such as Echinacea, Elderberry, Pau d’arco, Aloe vera, and Oregano which offer temporary relief followed by more severe symptoms. Additional foods that increase cytokine production (and should be avoided during a Cytokine Storm) include: Sambucol (Elderberry juice), Spirulina and Chlorella algae, Honey, Chocolate, and Kimchi. These foods are good for treatment of less severe colds and flu, but should be avoided when symptoms become severe. USE ANTI-VIRALS TO ATTACK THE PATHOGEN Include herbs which are classified as anti-viral or antipathogenic in order to fight back severe viral infections. These include Garlic, Olive leaf extract, Grapefruit seed extract, Ginger, Mullein, Pine needles, Eucalyptus (inhaled) and Apple Cider Vinegar.
USE IMMUNOMODULATORS TO HELP BALANCE IMMUNE RESPONSE Select herbs and foods that are known as immunomodulators. These help to balance the immune system and bring the immune response back into normal parameters. Herbs and foods known as immunomodulators include Ginseng root, Chamomile, and Olive Leaf Extract.
TREAT THE SYMPTOMS If you are dealing with a Cykotine Storm which has resulted in bronchial inflammation and lots of mucus, you will want to utilize herbs which are anti-inflammatory and help expel the mucus, reducing the symptoms. Eucalyptus (inhaled), Ginger, Mullein, Curcumin (extract of Turmeric), Pine Needles, Apple Cider Vinegar, Onions, Marshmallow, Mustard, Plantain, Pleurisy Root, Red Clover, Yarrow and can help with these symptoms.
APPLICATIONS Most of these herbs can be administered in an herbal tea or in tincture form. Many herbs and Apple Cider Vinegar (diluted with water) can be heated to a simmer in water using the steam as a medicinal vapor. Mustard and onions can be applied via a plaster to the chest. Onions can also be given as an ingredient in a soup. Another effective way to administer these herbs is by applying a low heat and breathing the resulting smoke (incense).
Lots of liquids and rest will also help as the patient recuperates. Monitor symptoms closely and seek additional help at the first sign of a life-threatening condition.
This article is presented for information purposes only and not intended as a substitute for trained medical care. The reader assumes all liability, should be informed, and exercise common sense when incorporating these methods.
1918 -- The Spanish Flu Depending on your source material, anywhere from 20 to 100 million people died in 1918 during the pandemic known as the Spanish Flu. Prior to this outbreak, it was common for influenza outbreaks to be fatal in the young, weak and elderly. But in 1918, men between 20 and 40 years of age were the most common victims. Men were dying at a rate 35% greater than women. The exact numbers are unknown because the statistics keep changing. In 1999 the Center for Disease Control claimed that reported deaths for the 1918 pandemic were 20 million. By 2005, the CDC had adjusted that number to 50 million.
November 1918 -- World War I ends The Spanish Flu didn't happen in a vacuum. In it's context, World War I ended in November of that year. At the time, this was thought to be the war to end all wars. Shortages of fresh food and clean water were felt throughout the world. This led to widespread immunocompromise (compromise of the immune system) due to malnutrition. In addition, these shortages combined with world events contributed to poor hygiene and emotional stress.
But that wasn't the only thing that was testing the limits of human immune responses. Men were returning home from war having been exposed to various chemicals and pre-deployment vaccines. Men entering the military were given smallpox and yellow fever vaccinations and possibly a few additional vaccines. These soldiers were in the same age range as those who died at a greater rate from the Spanish Flu.
1955 -- Polio Vaccine Campaign 1957 -- Asian Flu
In 1955 there was a campaign to encourage the U.S. population to be vaccinated with the polio vaccine. The Asian Flu outbreak occurred after this in 1957. Military service men received all of these vaccines and more. By 1968, during the Vietnam War, military troops were receiving all of these and an experimental plague vaccine. This was just before the pandemic called the Hong Kong Flu (1968-1969).
1968 - 1969 -- Hong Kong Flu The Hong Kong Flu proved to spread slowly and have low mortality everywhere EXCEPT in the United States, where immunization drives were held regularly. The elderly were most affected. This influenza caused nearly 34,000 deaths, mostly in the elderly.
1976 -- Swine Flu In response to a death due to the Swine Flu the previous year, the CDC called for the United States population to undergo a mass immunization to avoid a widespread outbreak. President Ford addressed the American people on March 24, 1976 to announce a National Influenza Immunization Program. Within two weeks of the launch of this program, 33 persons that had received the vaccine had died. To calm fears, the President and his family received flu shots on national television October 14, 1976. Doctors and patients alike were having second thoughts. Six weeks later, the program was suspended. 1978 -- Nationwide Immunization Campaign Individual states passed legislation requiring proof of immunization in order for children as young as 5 and 6 years of age to enter the United States public school system.
DOES THIS MEAN THAT IMMUNIZATIONS CAUSE PANDEMICS? No, but immunizations DO have an effect on the immune system. There is disagreement among doctors on what exactly this effect is and whether or not it leaves a person at greater risk for infection. At the end of this blog entry is a video which discusses the use of vaccines to fight disease.
OTHER IMMUNE SYSTEM INFLUENCES Our food and water supplies have been undergoing many changes. Foods contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals are now standard fare in grocery stores. Private whole food sources are now being eliminated by cumbersome legislation. In some states, it is illegal to sell raw milk from a private source. Additionally, private ownership of stock animals for profit, sale of garden produce by non-industrial farms, and plants that have been exposed to pollination by genetically modified plants are subject to aggressive law suits to keep them out of the food supply or government regulations that make private farms difficult or impossible to run profitably.
To the consumer, the net result of these attempts by industry to eliminate the local competition means that opportunities to purchase natural, organic whole foods are fewer. The 'trace' amounts of 'harmless' chemicals that enter the population are contributing to various levels of immune inflammatory response. This heightened immune response over time stresses the human system and leaves it more vulnerable to a viral attack.
Here's a video on what happened to a farm family that tried to help their neighbors get low-cost organic foods.
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT PANDEMIC PATHOLOGY Pandemics which are deadly seem to generate an accelerated immune response. In those who die, the disease progresses rapidly to pneumonia. The victim basically drowns in the mucus which coats the lungs. The mucus production is a response from an over-stimulated immune system.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET THE FLU According to an article by Jon Barron, (The Cost of a Strong Immune System) the strong immune response of a healthy person to an aggressive virulent attack will exact too great a cost on the human body and kill with it's overreaction.
"The bottom line is yes, you want your immune system to respond strongly to any pathogens -- but not too strongly. If it responds too strongly, the costs can outweigh the benefits. An overactive immune system can lead to:
* Sustained systemic inflammation * Autoimmune disorders * Overactive responses to allergens * Even death, as in the case of avian flu"
This article recommends that efforts to boost immune response be scaled back during illness while applications that attack the pathogen (antipathogens) be increased. This helps reduce the need for a vigorous immune response.
"If you can tone down the strength of the pathogenic attack, then a strong immune system works in your favor -- finishing off the invading little buggers as quickly as possible, but without the need to drain down your reserves. But if you don't ratchet down the strength of the attack, your immune system actually works against you -- causing chronic inflammation, immune system disorders, overactive allergy responses, or as in the case of avian flu, potentially killing you."
Here is a video about health considerations regarding immunization. Experts address how vaccinations affect the immune system.
This blog presents ideas and information designed to enrich the life of the reader. These articles are NO substitute for personalized professional care. The opinions and ideas expressed are fallible and that of the author. Readers are encouraged to be well-informed and draw their own conclusions.
A nasal spray influenza vaccine is being offered as an alternative to injections. This cultivated live virus is so concentrated that the person receiving it can infect others with the flu virus for three weeks after getting the vaccine. Once a person receives this spray, that person begins to shed flu virus cells. In practical terms, any time you are around someone that has received this form of vaccine -- at the grocery store, at the local pharmacy, at school, at work or other social gathering -- you risk being exposed to an artificially introduced and powerful form of the flu virus. Even if you haven’t been around a person that is sick with the flu, you could become ill from such an exposure.
