Why Flu Shots Are So Ineffective

From Scientific American: Last year’s flu vaccine should have worked well. The strain that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration chose for the seasonal vaccine did indeed closely match the viruses that sickened people. So when its effectiveness proved disappointing, Scott Hensley, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and his colleagues began to investigate. Flu vaccines are killed or highly weakened viruses that, when injected into the body, alert the immune system to fight the real thing. For 70 years most flu vaccine strains have been grown in fertilized chicken eggs because egg growth incites excellent yield. But it has long been known that the viruses also evolve in these egg hosts. They adopt genetic changes that help them grow in the egg environment. What Hensley and his colleagues found was such changes can cause problems for the end product. Comment: For years now, we’ve been reporting on the ineffectiveness of flu shots—some of which still contain mercury. (Remember, flu shots are routinely given to pregnant women and infants!) Despite their ineffectiveness, flu shots are still aggressively pushed by the government. Many localities have laws that mandate healthcare and other workers receive flu shots. Most state legislatures are out of session, but check our Protect Vaccine Choice page to stay up to date on bills in your state that threaten your freedom of choice concerning vaccination.]]>