The Big Jab: The Truth Behind The Seasonal Flu VaccineI enter 8 Dimensions Health, a chiropractic and Chinese Medicine office, and am welcomed warmly by a smiling receptionist. She tells me to sign in and have a seat while I wait for my acupuncture appointment. While waiting I observe the various pamphlets on the walls and I come across something odd. I notice a large, rather threatening, bright yellow poster board handing on the window. In large red letters reads a sarcastic message, “The flu shot will NOT be here today,” obviously to mock other signs that happily imply availability of seasonal flu shots, such as at Walgreens pharmacies. Baffled by such a direct and assertive message I decided to read a printed paper below the large yellow sign titled, “Do you know whats in a flu shot?” I then asked myself the question and realized never before had I given thought to what was in a flu shot, their effectiveness, their potential complications and risks, or where they even came from. It was at this moment I realized the average person probably never had either.
Every year it is reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the estimated number of deaths caused by influenza, or the flu, to be about 36,000, and estimates nearly 200,000 individuals are hospitalized annually due to the seasonal virus. It is because of these reported estimates the CDC spends about $19 million tax-payer dollars on advertising seasonal flu shots annually across the United States, which happens to be more than all of the money the CDC spends on vaccine safety research every year (Generation Rescue). Due to this large marketing campaign many average American citizens, as well as medical professionals, are beginning to question the data provided by the CDC on seasonal influenza vaccines and are investigating the safety of these highly promoted shots. Luckily, there is quite a large amount of information available to the general public, such as official documents provided by the CDC itself, so this mystery can become clearer.