My friend Brad texted me during the Michigan-Michigan State football game yesterday telling me I have to read the flu shot article in the WSJ and write about it. Well, I got home from the BIG Michigan victory (Go Blue!) and promptly read the November 16, 2019 article (https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-problem-with-flu-shot-not-enough-people-get-it-11573813801?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1). This article must have been supplied to the WSJ writer by Big Pharma as this was nothing more than a promotional spot for why we should be vaccinated against the flu.
Let me give you my opinion and the true facts behind the flu vaccine then you can make an informed choice on whether to receive the flu vaccination or not. When you decide, please post your comments on my blog or email me at info@drbrownstein.com. I love hearing from my readers whether you agree with me or not. I will go through much of the article and comment on what is true and what is fake news.
The WSJ article starts by stating, “Each year, influenza sickens millions of people. But typically, too few Americans get the flu shot to shield everyone from the contagious disease.” The article then states that babies and those who cannot be vaccinated are put at risk when people decide to forgo the flu vaccine.
True News: Yes, millions do get the flu each year.
Fake News: The flu shot has NEVER BEEN SHOWN to prevent transmission of the flu. The best it can do is to limit the symptoms in an infected person. That person can still transmit the flu virus to others. The flu vaccine is not the only vaccine that fails to stop the spread of disease. Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio (injectable) and the meningitis vaccines all fail to prevent the spread of the respective illnesses, but that’s another article. To claim the flu shot will protect the spread of influenza to those with immune systems that are vulnerable is…FAKE NEWS!
The article states, “…there are life-threatening conditions that the {influenza virus} can trigger, including inflammation of the heart, brain or spinal cord. A nursing expert stated, “It’s really the complications related to the flu that we should be scared about. That’s what the vaccine helps to prevent or reduce.”
True News: Influenza can cause serious complications including those mentioned above. The greatest risk of complications from the flu do occur in children and the elderly.
Fake News: The flu shot has NEVER BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS PNEUMONIA OR HOSPTILIZATION FROM INFLUENZA INFECTION IN CHILDREN, HEALTHY ADULTS AND THE ELDERLY! Cochrane is an independent group of scientists who evaluate evidence from research. They do not take funding from Big Pharm and other commercial interests and therefore their reviews should be carefully weighed. A 2018 Cochrane Review on Vaccines for Preventing Influenza in Healthy Children (1) reported that there was “…no data on…hospitalisation{sic}.” The authors further reported limited evidence for the treatment of lower respiratory tract disease (i.e., pneumonia). The Cochrane authors further state, “To date no studies have adequately measured or reported hospitalisation (sic) {as related to the influenza vaccine}.”
Another Cochrane review on influenza vaccines in healthy adults found flu shots “…had no effect on hospital admissions or complication rates.” (2) In the elderly, a third Cochrane Review (3) found that there was inadequate data available to assess whether flu shots decrease this risk of pneumonia or hospitalization in the elderly. Since the flu shot, at best, provides a one percent benefit for the elderly at preventing the flu, I can assure you that there will never be data that shows the flu vaccine prevents serious complications from influenza infection in this population.
It is FAKE NEWS to state that the flu shot significantly lowers ones risk for serious complications from the flu.
The author of the article wrote, “At greatest risk of senior citizens. People age 65 and older accounted for 86% of flu-related death and 69% of hospitalizations in the 2017-2018 flu season. Altogether, an estimated 960,000 people were hospitalized that season and more than 79,000 died.”
True News: The elderly are at greatest risk of influenza.
Fake News: As stated above, the flu vaccine has NEVER been shown to protect those aged 65 and older. And, 79,000 dying from the flu last year? NO WAY! The CDC annually gins up the number of deaths from the flu by reporting pneumonia and flu deaths as one number. Then, the CDC reports this number as the total dying from the flu. However, the yearly number who actually die from the flu are tens of thousands lower than who die from pneumonia. I have written about this shifty practice many times–see this blog post for more information: http://112.196.20.91/drbrownstein/the-truth-about-the-flu-vaccine/. The number who die from the flu range from a few hundred to a few thousand per year. Since the flu vaccine does not prevent pneumonia, and pneumonia deaths vastly outnumber flu deaths sometimes 20-40x, there is simply no reason to lump the numbers together unless you want to unnecessarily scare the population into getting a flu vaccine. To further confuse us, the CDC has recently stopped reporting the breakdown between who actually died from the flu and who died from pneumonia.
I have only covered about one-third of the WSJ article. But, that is enough. The WSJ should research better before reporting Big Pharma talking points.
The flu shot is NOT without adverse effects. Many flu shots contain mercury which is the second most toxic substance known to mankind. Mercury should never be injected into any living being. There are other toxins in the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is the most common vaccine compensated by the Federal Government for adverse effects. I could write a lengthy article about the adverse effects from the flu vaccine, but that is for another time.
Should you get a flu shot? Hopefully you now have the information available to you in order to make an informed decision. If you want to read more about the failures of the flu shot, just search in the blog search box “flu” and a host of articles will pop up.
~Dr B
(4) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf
I was wondering if you have any ideas about a flu shot I got 20 yrs. ago. My job sent me to Costco. I got the shot and my left arm blew up the size of a hockey puck. It took 15 months to go away. I could barely lift anything for one entire year. I could not even carry grocery bag.
This was horrific. I am left handed. I went to my GP 2x and he said he could see the needle mark but had never seen anything like it. I was told it would go down. I’ve never gotten another flu shot since this disaster. I’m just wondering if you have any opinion.
Rob,
We now have a name for it: SIRVA. Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration.
DrB
Dr. Brownstein, You say “Go Blue” …I say GO DR. BROWNSTEIN ! a winner in the war on better health care for America. You stand your ground with knowledge, conviction, honesty, perseverance… thank you for keeping your patients informed about best practices and the truth about flu shots so that we can make informed decisions. There is so much pressure put on people to take those shots that many people (who are not honestly informed or have ill-informed doctors)are caving in to the pressure and getting the shots and more.
Dr. Brownstein would you please address in one of your blogs how to treat an elevated parathyroid and the best treatment for it.
Thank you for the years of excellent health care that I have received spanning almost 3 decades. As you know, I have relocated to Atlanta, GA 14 years but still make a yearly sojourn to your office for my check-up and medicare care. You are the best, “Go Dr. Brownstein!”
Hi Miss Evans!
Thanks for the nice comments.
DrB
Dr. B: Every time I’ve had a flu shot (it’s been mandated for my job), I swear it gives me the flu immediately. And I still get it later in the season. Several people have posted stories like this. Understood the immunization is often ineffective. But the variety of providers doling out injections have repeatedly told me that it was impossible for me to get the flu from the shot. (Because it did not have a the live bug like there is in the nasal version.) Two questions: (1) Is it possible that the shot gave me the flu? (2) Do you think instead I was having a bad reaction to it from the toxins and did not have the flu itself in the days immediately following injection?
Katie,
The adverse reactions to the flu shot can mimic the flu.
DrB
Vaccines also wreak havoc with your immune system, so then you’re more susceptible to catching whatever is going around. Makes me livid that health care worked are forced to get the shots.
The only time I got a flu shot was one year when I was working for a hospital (in IT, no patient contact, not even on the main campus). The next year, they only made it mandatory for people with patient contact, so I declined.
I’m 69 years old. I haven’t had the flu since some time before 1978.
I have no intention of ever getting another flu shot.
One quick question: Why do you include tetanus in the list of vaccines that don’t prevent transmission? I was taught that tetanus was caused by a toxin generated by the spores of the bacteria Clostridium tetani which is found in the soil, and the only way to catch it was to get those spores in a puncture wound. Unlike Anthrax, where the inhaled spores can cause illness.
Hugh,
You are right about tetanus. IT does not transmit between patients. Therefore, the shot does not prevent transmission. The shot can lesson or prevent tetanus disease.
DrB
I haven’t had a flu shot in over 35 years (age 69). I have had the flu maybe 2-3 times the last 30 years and always the 2-3 day variety. I will never trust the ingredients they put into ANY vaccinations (things like mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, cadmium) all of which are deadly poisons and extremely toxic to the human body. Small dose add up over decades. If I get sick, which is rare, I will increase my intake of vitamin C, zinc, garlic and maybe elderberry…all excellent fighters of colds and flu despite the fake news that they are ineffective. That is because the doses and usage is not strong enough in most cases. I will never, ever believe anything coming from Big Pharma, the CDC or the FDA as being anything other than fake news and highly suspect. I have lost all trust of these institutions. I do not take any drugs and I believe that strengthening the immune system is paramount in fighting disease and sickness. We do too much to interfere with the body’s natural healing processes. Most drugs can cause some serious side effects and in my book that tells me that they are poisons to some extent. We normally do not get sick eating good food or taking a few supplements. Thanks for the article, but I believe it is only top-notch propaganda from an industry that excels at it.
I am 47 and the only times I had a flu shot was when I was in the Marines and it was required. By coincidence I am sure, the only times I have ever come down with the flu was also when I was in the Marines.
THANK YOU for keeping us informed! No flu shots for me or mine!!
Thank you for the information. I would start having town hall meetings, and meetings at schools to inform the public of the truth about these vaccines and flu shots. Especially for the young unsuspecting, and often intimidated new mothers.
Thank you for all that you do to help your patients and the public. In a world of fake news and people suffering and being misled it is refreshing to know that people like you exist. Please keep fighting the good fight. Thank you
Thanks for another informative and empowering post. 11 of us in this house, and no takers on the flu shot etc.
Becky,
11??? You go!
DrB
Ric,
IgG classes 1 and 3 are associated with antibodies against viral proteins, while IgG 2 consists of antibodies against polysaccharides of bacteria. Adults often have undetectable levels of IgG 4. You can have normal IgG levels and still be deficient in specific subclasses. However, I am not aware of any research that proves low levels of specific subclasses make you more vulnerable to the flu.
Chad,
There are studies showing people/kids becoming ill with previous vaccinated illnesses whether they have antibodies or not. And, there are others that show people/kids not becoming ill from a particular vaccinated illness (measles is one example) even though they lack antibodies.
We know very little about the immune system.
DrB
I have had one flu shot, forced into mind u by my then employer, first time I actually got the flu was shortly after receiving it. I vowed never again. Thankfully we found you Dr. B nine years ago, u have both my husband and my overall health in great shape, you r awesome, my husband, my sister and I are so grateful we found you, thank u for calling out big pharma and the powers that be for what the truely r, bogus.
The USAF began requiring me to get an annual flu shot in 1977 while I was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The first time I was sick for three days after getting the shot, and later that winter I had the worst case of flu I had ever had and it turned into pneumonia, although I didn’t have to be hospitalized. From then on, when the campaign to get flu shots began, I would put off getting the shot until the general would call me to his office and tell me that I was the only officer that was preventing his organization from getting 100% on flu shots, then order me to go to the base hospital and get a flu shot. Always I would get sick for a couple of days and then later get the flu. After I retired I rarely got flu shots—only when my new employer required them, and they had no way of checking if I wasn’t present when they had a flu shot day at work. Today, completely retired I never get a flu shot and haven’t had the flu since.
The same thing happened to me, Pauline, and a BIG BENEFIT to retirement was that I didn’t HAVE to get a flue shot. For me, I want to know what is going INTO MY BODY, and they can’t tell me what’s in that FLU SHOT !!!
Dr. – Brownstein your blog on flu shots is most informative. It is interesting how “Fake News” pervades every aspect of our lives. As a long time patient of Dr. Ng’s and CHM, I long ago opted out of the Flu Shot program. My poor mothers last shot made her extremely ill and my last shot did the same and caused my arm to swell up like a baseball. There were no shots after that and I do not believe anyone in my family has had the flu.
I think Dr. Ng’s advice says it best: avoid crowds, wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your face and be very mindful of your nutrition and vitamin intake. Seems like a simple protocol if only more people were informed and followed the advice.
All the best,
Thomas Kregoski
POL Diagnostics, LLC
Thank You Dr.B
I have read yr response about Mercury above.
People are now saying that the 1/2-life of mercury is short enough for them to “take the chance” on having a flu-shot, which sounds crazy to me . How does one rate said 1/2-life in this application ?
If we look at the 4 sub-classes of IgG, do you know which ones are the most protective against flu ? Would knowing which of the 4 we may be deficient in, provide us with greater knowledge
as to our own susceptibility to flu ? Thanks
Ric,
The half life of mercury argument has been used by pro-vax people for a long time. It is simply not true–more FAKE NEWS! Mercury has a long half-life in the body and the kind of mercury used in vaccines has been shown to accumulate in the brain.
I do not know the answer to your second question. Perhaps a reader does?
DrB
My 80 year old mother is on her 7th+ year of Alzheimers. What studies can I provide to my siblings and my father explaining that she should never receive the flu vaccine? I am a dog breeder that routinely vaccinates my own litters of puppies. Every vaccine vial states “for the vaccination of healthy animals only”. If we do not vaccinate compromised dogs, why would it be an appropriate practice in humans? Thanks.
Jackie,
Read my post! The info is there.
DrB
Jackie, if you know that heavy metals cause neurological damage, and that even so-called “killed” pathogens in vaccines can cause sub-clinical or clinical cases of the diseases that vaccines supposedly prevent–why do you vaccinate your dogs?
Ha! I was going to ask her the same thing. If we shouldn’t be vaccinating people why on earth would anyone vaccinate a dog?? A myth supplied by the veterinary association just as much as it is by BigPHRma. (No, that’s no misspelled).
We’ve had two cocker spaniels since 1993. The first one lived to be 19 and the second one is still living at age 14. We NEVER vaccinated either of them. They are in our fully fenced yard, or in our kennel/run in the yard all the time. We have a huge yard so we do not take them for “walks” – they get plenty of exercise right here in their own back yard! We feed them a raw diet as much as possible, with lots of raw meaty bones (we get them from a kosher butcher shop nearby). In the really rough winter months we have a homemade kibble we feed them. In our opinion, taking care of an animal is NOT about getting it vaccinated with a bunch of worthless, dangerous chemicals. Ditto for PEOPLE.
We waited a few years between, before buying our second cocker because we couldn’t find a decent breeder.
Thank you for your latest blog re flu immunizations. As a person who is considered
elderly, I always wonder about my decision not to get a flu shot. Your information makes me feel secure in my decision.
Dear Doctor.B
Thank you for this timely article because the push is on. Since July in my state, Michigan, Flu Shot signs have been out at CVS, Walgreens etc. Every time I venture into a grocery store I’m greeted with a flyer from staff to get that shot. After a few you must be out of your mind comments from me they now don’t even attempt to give me one. The main greeter offered me a flyer and I told him I remembered he got the Flu shot last year and was off of work for a week because he was sick. He just looked at me and as I walked away I said so how did that work out for you?
I was wondering if you responded to the writer of this article personally-Ms. McGinty. I written a lengthily response to her and I think its important for others to write her and let her know that the public at large is not ignorant of the facts. Also, she needs to know that people are aware that her article is an extended infomercial for the Flu shot and by her carrying the banner for pharma she is on the wrong side of humanity.
Thanks for the additional info in your article because it gave me a framework to follow in response to the WSJ.
I had the Asian flu about 50 years ago and wonder if that helped give me immunity….no flu shots here even though I keep getting “reminders” that I haven’t gotten flu, pneumonia or shingles vaccines. Had chicken pox as a kid, no shingles vaccine for me either. God bless your work and the many ways you share it!
I am 80 plus years old and my Dr. suggested that I get the following shots this year–Pnewmonia , Shingles and Flu. What say you Dr.
Rowell,
Look at my blogs. All covered there. That’s what I say.
DrB
Thank you Dr. B…I totally refuse to get a “flu” shot..Amen!!
Also, I take my iodine supplement, but why, for me, does this increase myTSH.
Trying to keep that TSH number below 1.
Thank you…
HI Eileen. That happened to me too. It was explained to me that it is normal to have an increase in TSH in response to iodine, especially when one was deficient. The increase in TSH went away after I had sufficient iodine levels for a while. I believe that Dr. Brownstein talks about this in his “Iodine Why You Need It” book.
Stephanie,
I pronounce you an expert in rising TSH levels secondary to iodine supplementation. You know more than 99% of doctors out there!
DrB
I think Dr B. has made a serious typo in his otherwise brilliant article on the Flu jab.
He claims that the CDC has stopped reporting the breakdown between ‘who actually died from the ‘flu’ and who died from ‘influenza.’
I think he means ………. who actually died from ‘pneumonia’ and who died from ‘influenza.’
Hope this is helpful.
Denis
Denis,
Thanks for the ‘catch’. I have a horrible time editing my own work!!
DrB
Thank you for this follow up article… As one who is considered elderly, I always question my decision to not get the flu shot.
This info is very helpful in reinforcing my decision.
Thanks, Paula. I like reinforcing someone’s good health decisions!
DrB
The vaccine market is big business. Technavio.com ( https://www.technavio.com/report/global-human-vaccine-market-analysis-share-2018) reported the global human vaccine market 2018-2022 is predicted to reach a staggering size of more than 47.5 billion – that is not a misprint. If you want to follow the fake information just follow the money. Consider the funding source of the WSJ article on flu shots. The WSJ is a daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corp.
Rupert Murdoch is Executive Chairman of News Corp. Murdoch’s investments in pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK) have made his media support of mandatory vaccines in Australia extremely suspect. His conflict of interest extends to the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute which is involved in vaccine research funded by Big Pharma companies such as GlaxoSmithKlein, Pfizer, Novartis and Sanofi Pasteur. Pediatrician Dr. Terry Nolan, former chair of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, is now associated with Murdoch’s Children’s Institute. Nolan is also a member of the World Health Organization’s SAGE group that influences international vaccine policy.
Parents considering vaccines for themselves and their children need informed consent regarding the staggering conflicts of interest intrinsic in the information they are receiving via fake news articles reported by seriously compromised sources.
Linda,
Thanks for the info!
DrB
Thank you Linda!
We agree that vaccinations are products of commerce and therefore people must have the fullest disclosure on each and evert vaccination product. Your information is exactly what’s needed as (the follow-the-money) part of the whole full-disclosure.
Dr. B, thanks for bringing us another glorious and smashing victory, just like v. Irish previously, GO BLUE!!
Daryl,
Until I leave this earth, GO BLUE!
DrB
What does GO BLUE means?
Tali,
THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF THE ARTICLE! MICHIGAN, MY BELOVED MICHIGAN WOLVERINES JUST DEFEATED THEIR RIVAL michigan state IN A FOOTBALL GAME!
(well, maybe not the most important point, but one of them!)
GO BLUE is for my Michigan Wolverines!
DrB
What is the difference between flu and influenza? I thought flu was just the shortened name for influenza, but you comment twice above:-
“However, the yearly number who actually die from the flu are tens of thousands lower than who die from influenza. ”
“To further confuse us, the CDC has recently stopped reporting the breakdown between who actually died from the flu and who died from influenza.”
I wondered if you actually meant pneumonia, rather than influenza in these two sentences, which would make more sense in the context.
Jennifer.
My bad. It was a typo. I have corrected it. Thanks for pointing it out. There is no difference between influenza and flu when I write.
DrB
I agree Dr, Brownstein. I have”fired “ my Doctors recently (both GP’s) insisting I go on statins. Medical doctors have been brain washed by big Pharma and their fake news.
As Mark Twain once said “Throw all medicine into the ocean. It would be good for mankind and bad for the fish,”
I live in western Sydney, Australia. It is November here and the weather is heating up considerably & most of you have heard how big our bush fires are at the present time. Well both my daughter & my cousin who lives in Brisbane, Qld have had the flu shots earlier this winter. Then would you know it both of them came down with the actual FLU, not just a virus their individual doctors told them. Both spent the week home in bed with high temperatures, ear problems etc. the same week mind you!!! So the flu must be going around the traps. My daughter is a school teacher.
So my question is: Why would you be stupid enough to get a flu vaccine to prevent the flu when some five months later you are going to come down with the very thing that you were vaccinated for!!!
Not me that is for sure!! I eat vegetables & some meat & chicken, eat lots of berries, eggs. I DO NOT shop for packaged food or eat dairy or grains. I drink lots of properly filtered water. I have garlic capsules every day & do consume lots of garlic in my food during the winter months when making casseroles. I rarely get a cold or bug. I clean the trolley down at the shops before using. I wash my hands with soap when I get home. That made a big difference so realised that I was probably touching my face. Also I shop early when most people are getting kids ready for school so not many people around sneezing or coughing. I haven’t visited a doctor in 6 years since taking my health into my own hands & doing the research & turning to real foods with variety in the veges even if I don’t like them. I use a bullet & make a drink out of them with iced water & blueberries. I also consume a lot of virgin coconut oil plus cold pressed olive oil that comes from NSW so fresh.
Loved your article. Thanks for writing so clearly how people are being misled! I haven’t got the flu shot in years, and have not had the flu either, and have no intention of getting it the rest of my life. I warn everyone about the possible side effects and refer them to your website. I make sure to eat nutritious food, and when a cold starts up in the fall/winter, I up my vit C and add in extra Vit A, D and zinc, plus some raw local honey. Works every time, and I work in a school!
Thank you for this very informative article. A small comment: I think the following sentence may be incorrect:
“ To further confuse us, the CDC has recently stopped reporting the breakdown between who actually died from the flu and who died from influenza.”
Should this read: “… died from the flu and who died from pneumonia “?
WN,
My readers ‘read’ and edit better than I do!
Corrected.
Thanks,
DrB
I have found year after year that those who get the flu shot tend to get the flu more frequently and when they do get the flu it is a much more severe flu that those who don’t get the shot. The flu shot just doesn’t make any sense at all because everyone? knows the flu virus mutates constantly between hosts. Another Big Pharma agenda in my book and nothing about health.
Love your informative articles. More people need to read this to make their own informed decision. Thank you
It’s true. Flu shots for elderly are unnecessary. I’m only 82. Never get the shot or the flu. But that is up to the individual.
Hi Dr. Brownstein:
Thank you for this most informative article regarding the miss-information about the flu vaccine. Please shed some light on the following levels Mercury and Lead found in human blood testing . If having a blood test for Mercury levels what is the level considered to be concerned about [if the lab rating is 0-9]. Is 1 considered dangerous? What level is considered not to cause harm in the body? Same with lead with a scale of [0-4.9] what level is considered dangerous, is 1 considered dangerous?
Will hospitals refuse to operate on patients that refuse the flu vaccine?
Your comments will be greatly appreciated.
Teresa
Teresa,
Any mercury or lead levels are problematic. There are many ways to check these levels. It is best to work with a holistic health care provider knowledgeable about how to test for and treat metal toxicity.
Yes, the time is coming when vaccines will become mandatory. Unless we speak up.
DrB
Not sure how I got on your mailing list, but really!? “Any mercury or lead levels are problematic?!” Like even 1 atom? I would be surprised if you are able to eat a single whole foods meal that doesn’t have at least 1 atom of lead or mercury. Mercury and lead are found in trace amounts in nearly everything we eat. The amount of mercury in the flu shot is comparable to eating a can of tuna. In terms of parts per billion, yes it looks much worse than the standards for drinking water, but you don’t drink 8oz of flu shots 8 times per day year round! Another point, it seems that there is no “free” mercury in the shots, it’s a compound called Thimerosal which is processed safely by the body and urinated out.
I agree that a flu vaccine is not that important (as compared to polio, mumps, or measles). It really doesn’t bother me if someone decides not to get it. But personally it takes like 20 min of my time per year, its free with my insurance, and it might help reduce the severity of the flu, so I say why not?
Eric,
You need to do better research. Injecting mercury is much different than ingesting it. Mercury is a toxic substance. Period. There is no safe level of mercury to inject in any living being. Period. Thimerosal is not processed safely in the body. It is transported into the brain after injection. Env. Health Perspectives. 2005:113(8):1015
Why not? The flu vaccine can cause many adverse effects. It doesn’t work for the vast majority who get it. It contains toxic ingredients. That’s why not.
DrB
Thanks for the response/discussion. Fish contain toxic ingredients, and lots of people eat them. Tuna has about 0.4ppm of mercury. If you eat a small can of tuna, which is about 170grams, you get 68 micrograms of mercury. I don’t eat tuna regularly because of this fact, but sometimes why not? It tastes good and my body can deal with a bit of mercury now and then.
The average flu shot will have about 25 micrograms. If you are going to scare everyone with flu shots, you should be consistent and scare everyone with tuna.
Looking at the study you linked, they are injecting 20 micrograms per kilogram. That’s pretty high, my first born son weighed almost 4kg, so that would be 80 micrograms, which is quite a bit higher than a typical flu shot. And for adults this would be a VERY high exposure level. For me it would be 72kg*20micrograms/kg = 144 micrograms, which is MUCH higher than the 20 micrograms in a flu shot, and much higher than a can of tuna.
And finally, the paper you linked says in the conlusion “The researchers emphasize, however, that the risks associated with low-level exposures to inorganic mercury in the developing brain are unknown…”
And to be clear NONE of the monkeys in the study were reported to have any ill-health effects.
Again, thanks for the discussion, it is an interesting study, and I do want to find the truth, but I feel you are being a real scare monger on this particular issue. To say something isn’t safe because there is no known “safe levels” of a substance is ludicrous. Everyone is exposed to lead/mercury, it’s the amount of exposure that matters.
Erik,
Cigarettes contain toxic ingredients and lots of people USED to smoke them. We never did randomized studies to find cigarettes toxic to humans. I can hear you making the same argument about cigarettes a few decades ago.
As for tuna, I regularly tell my patients to avoid it because tuna is toxic with mercury. That’s why the FDA recommends pregnant women limit tuna.
Your body can deal with a bit of mercury now and then? How much now and then before problems develop? When is it too much? We don’t know. I prefer not putting my body in such a precarious situation and avoid eating high mercury fish. I see patients harmed from eating too much tuna or sushi where I diagnose mercury toxicity.
The point of the animal study was to show thimerosal is a toxic substance that is not easily eliminated from the body. It accumulates in the brain where mercury has been shown to be toxic.
As for the dosing of injectable mercury, the authors state, “A dose of 20 μg/kg was chosen based on the range of estimated doses received by human infants receiving vaccines during the first 6 months of life.”
As for now ill-health effects; THE MONKEYS WERE SACRIFICED 2, 4, 7, or 28 days AFTER THEIR LAST HG EXPOSURE!!! That would sure limit ill-health effects.
Eric: There are NO safe levels of mercury. IT IS A TOXIC SUBSTANCE WITH NO KNOWN THERAPEUTIC VALUE TO THE HUMAN BODY. MERCURY (LEAD, CADMIUM, etc.,) SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS! Medicine has seen the consequences of mercury exposure over the recent and far past. That is not scare mongering. That is the truth.
DrB
I am 81 years old. I have never had a flu shot and rarely ever get sick. I take 1 prescription drug. “Armour Thyroid”. I also take Magnesium, Krill Oil, Co Q 10. Digest Enzymes, Ashwagandha, Vit. K-2, Vit. D-3, N-Acetyl glucosamine, Probiotics, Astragulus, Lycopene, L-Glutamine, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Astaxanthin, Folic Acid, Lions Maine. Even though I have Celiac, I feel good and have no joint pains.
So, I not only stay away from the flu. shots, I try to also stay away from prescription drugs.
Thank you for the facts on the big Pharma flu vaccine!
I try to tell everyone I know to stay far away from the toxic flu shot!! It is disgusting how you see it everywhere!! “Get your flu shot”.
It’s a shame people believe in it & keep getting it every year. I know several friends who have gotten very ill after getting the flu shot, or get the flu shot and still get the flu!! Go figure!!!
Thank you again for making the public aware – I wish everyone could read your blog!
Blessings,
Jill
Thanks for your review of the first third of the WSJ 11/16/19 article “one problem with flu shot…”. As usual, your comments are quite helpful.
Also, this review is so interesting I hope that mine is only the first of a deluge of requests that you review the entire WSJ article. Thanks!
Richard,
It was painful enough to review the first third of the Big Pharma-generated propaganda-laden article. I may need a vacation before reviewing the rest!
DrB
Thanks for blogging on football day. I didn’t get a flu shot because every year I live in Central America where there’s no flu during US flu season.
I wouldn’t get it if I lived in US during flu season either, despite being in one of the groups most scare targeted by big Pharm. I’m 70.
Before I read the blog, my reason was that the vaccine is based on lady years flu strain so it’s an iffy “ shot in the dark”. ( sorry) AND that despite reassurances to the contrary, the vaccines contain substances not compatible with human quality of life like mercury.
I did get a pneumonia vaccine. I’ve had pneumonia and have read that I’m more prone to get it again. True?
Jean,
As for the pneumonia vaccine–it is very ineffective for adults. Read this: https://www.drbrownstein.com/dr-b-should-i-get-the-pneumonia-vaccine/
DrB
I have been flu shot free for over 12 years and I think I’ve only had a real flu once or twice during that time. I try to strengthen my own natural immunity instead of taking this joke vaccine that I’ve leaned is ineffective and loaded with mercury. Also while researching the origins of the flu it became clear that no vaccine could be effective. I’m much more resilient now than I ever was while taking the flu shot. No thank you, Big Pharma.
Thanks for not only telling the truth, but how to look at the misinformation out there. When you see the “fake News” that we are being fed, realize that it’s coming from a collective ego and they are attempting to minimize the threat to their positions based on fear, insecurity and selfishness(money). One of the best way’s to get a higher of consciousness is through education. Open minded people are willing to hear contrarian views and think. This is a growth mindset. Thanks