Govt. study finds flu shots not effective in elderly, after all.
(sharylattkisson.com)
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Newsflash: Flu shots dont work at all and, in fact, do the exact opposite.
The best way to stay healthy, coming from someone who hasn't had the flu since I stopped getting the shot in 2012, is simple:
The military forced the flu shot every year and, for 24 yrs of my service, ended up violently ill 5-10 days after the flu shot EVERY time. After retirement (Im 56 now) in 2012, I said no more to that shit and haven't been sick with the cold or flu since. Even my allergies have all but vanished. Most I've had is a 24hr stomach bug twice in 10 years now.
Think about this: why is the flu shot free when just for walking into a Doctors office costs you $50? Same reason they pushed the COVID (Flu) shot for free or under duress.
Great comment, MordenGeist. Plenty of additional supplements are also helpful especially if you're coming down with something -- NAC (cheap), lactoferrin (not cheap), mushroom extracts inc. beta glucans for immune function, and dozens of others -- but for everyday use, I like your list, and not just for preventing the flu. Those actions lower your chance of cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and almost every other disease or harmful condition as well.
Why is the flu shot free? Economics, actually. A few years back there was a study done at the public health level of the costs of flu, particularly including hospitalizations for the two major risk groups of children and the elderly. The net result of that study was that mass vaccination against influenza saved tens of thousands of lives, but more importantly prevented hundreds of thousands of trips to acute care centers.
Recall that flu is a virus. While it can be treated with antivirals like oseltamivir or baloxavir, it's not terribly common for mild-moderate cases. In fact, they don't routinely test for it unless a person is hospitalized and it would make a difference in their care. Typically, treatment is "go home, rest, eat some chicken soup, wash your hands and don't spread it." That's cheap. Tamiflu and Xofluza aren't cheap ($300-500/course), if they're used, but they're a hell of a lot cheaper than an ER visit or an inpatient hospital bed.
By preventing hospitalizations, the flu vaccines save the system a HUGE amount of money. More importantly to health insurers is that they save the health insurers huge amounts of money. So, a business case was made to major insurers that they would benefit financially from covering the flu shot at no cost. And that is why the flu shot is "free" (included in the premium) on any health plan in America.
LoL, ok.