Disease Proof

The most effective artillery we have to protect ourselves against the potential damaging effects of influenza and other infectious disease is nutritional excellence. Micronutrients—-meaning vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals—-fuel various clever host defense mechanisms.

This from Dr. Fuhrman, but U.S. health officials would disagree, according to them our best defense against influenza is an annual flu shot. Amanda Gardner of HealthDay News reports that there are plenty of shots to go around:

Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said 26 million doses of flu vaccine were distributed in September and another 50 million will go out in October. The extra supply is largely due to increased manufacturing capacity: This year four manufacturers instead of two are making the vaccine. A fifth may be added later in the season, if needed.

Gardner explains that officials expect the vaccine to be available more this year than ever before; seems to coincide nicely with the expanded group of people authorities recommend should get vaccinated.

Dr. Fuhrman is not against flu shots in every case. Check out this post for Dr Fuhrman on the risks associated with the flu vaccine:

All medical interventions have a benefit-to-risk ratio. One has to weigh the potential risks with the supposed benefits. Often the long-term risks of medications are not clearly delineated and the supposed benefits are exaggerated by doctors and pharmaceutical companies (because after all, medicine is still a business to make money).


Flu vaccines have benefits and risks too. If you read about the flu vaccine in the information supplied by the manufacturer you will learn it contains formaldehyde and 25 micrograms of thimersol (mercury) per dose, used as a preservative. The injection of even this small amount of mercury repeatedly year after year from multiple vaccines can cause neurotoxicity (brain damage). The American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Public Health Service have issued a joint statement calling for the removal of mercury from vaccines. Chronic low dose mercury exposures may cause subtle neurological abnormalities that rear their head later in life.

For more info take a look at DiseaseProof’s Cold and Flu archive.