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Source: Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

CDC Recommends Seasonal Flu Vaccine for 76 Million U.S. Children
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Friday that it is recommending seasonal flu vaccines for all children age 6 months to 18 years old.

In support of the plan to mass vaccine the entire U. S. population with a new H1N1 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Friday that it is recommending seasonal flu vaccines for all children age 6 months to 18 years old.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, stated that the centers were now “fully recommending” that children as young as six months old get a flu shot every year. In the past, the agency had only “encouraged” shots for children and only from 6 months up to their 6^th birthday.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended in 2004 that children ages 6 months to 23 months be vaccinated, and the recommendation was expanded to include children ages 24 months to 59 months in 2006.

Now the CDC’s ACIP is expanding their recommendations to include all children ages 6 months to 18 years beginning in the 2009-2010 flu season.

The CDC guidelines state people who should get vaccinated each year are:

1. Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
2. Pregnant women
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
7. a. Health care workers
   b. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
   c. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated).

These recommendations come despite the following facts from the same report that announced the changes:

“Influenza-associated deaths are uncommon among children….The annual number of influenza-associated deaths among children reported to CDC for the past four influenza seasons has ranged from 44 during 2004--05 to 84 during 2007—08”

While the death of even one child is a horrible tragedy, it is important to note that 33% of the deaths occurred in children with an underlying medical condition and many of the deaths classified as “influenza-associated” occurred in children who had also contracted methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

MRSA infections are most common among people who have weak immune systems and are in hospitals, nursing homes, and other heath care centers. MRSA is responsible for 19,000 U. S. deaths annually.

It is this author’s opinion that exposing 76 million U.S. children to potentially dangerous seasonal flu vaccines (most containing the mercury based preservative, thimerisol) in the hope of preventing the extremely rare occurrence of “influenza-associated” death in children is misguided and immoral.

For most people, the flu shot does not prevent illness, but actually does the opposite--it weakens your immune system and makes you more predisposed to the illness. The people who actually die after contracting the flu do so because they are already sick and have compromised immune systems, and that certainly doesn't have to include you.

The following tips are surefire ways to improve the function of your immune system and greatly reduce your chances of getting the flu this winter:

• Get adequate natural sunlight or Vitamin D supplementation.
• Avoid sugar.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Eat natural, non-GMO, whole foods.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Support yourself during stressful times.
• Have your spine checked and get adjusted as needed.