Same Time Next Year

Flu Shot Season

Yes, it’s that time of year again. The flu fear talk is ratcheting up, vaccine supplies will be abundant in some areas and meager in others, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will top it all off with mixed signals and bewildering messages. In fact, according to a recent NPR report, the good folks at the CDC have already come up with a surprising new way to confuse everyone.

Not going to extremes

It’s always something. Or that’s the way it’s been with the flu vaccine in recent years. There are either not enough vaccines to meet demand, or there’s a surplus that goes unused. A couple of years ago, huge batches of vaccines were contaminated and destroyed at the very moment the CDC was predicting a nasty flu season. Many frightened people were turned away from vaccine centers that didn’t have enough doses to meet demand. Then the season turned out to be pretty mild.

One factor that’s been consistent year to year is the CDC’s advice to get vaccinated in October or November to ensure protection throughout the flu season. But as NPR delicately put it, the CDC is “putting out a more nuanced message” this year, stating that it’s fine to wait until December or even later.

Why the downturn in urgency? The NPR report didn’t come right out and say it, but reading between the lines it appears that the vaccine supply is going to trickle in this year. A spokesman for one of the largest vaccine distributors told NPR that there’s not even a lot of vaccine available yet, and added, “It’s going to be coming every week from now until December.”

So it seems that the CDC’s yearly sales pitch is based on supply flow. If plenty of doses are available early in the season, then we get a Code Red message: Get your shot NOW or you’ll be dangerously exposed! But if the supply is delayed, we get a more laid back Code Green message: No worries, compadre! Get your shot…you know…whenever!

Grain of salt

According to the flu vaccine page on the CDC web site, “The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.”

Keep in mind that advice comes from a government agency that devotes a considerable amount of resources to the promotion of the flu vaccine. There will be more than 100 million doses available this year, and if all of them aren’t used, the CDC hasn’t done its job.

Meanwhile, we have evidence that contradicts the CDC statement. In previous e-Alerts I’ve told you about research from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that compared flu-related mortality among older people to rates of immunization. Their finding: During the past quarter century, immunization rates for the elderly have climbed substantially while the elderly flu-related mortality rate has stayed the same.

The NIAID team wrote: “We conclude that observational studies substantially overestimate vaccination benefit.”

The flu shot is designed to prepare the immune system to fight specific virus strains. But you can prepare and strengthen your immune system without an injection by taking these steps:

• Exercise regularly
• Eat a balanced diet of nutritious, fresh, whole foods
• Manage stress levels (See the e-Alert “Easy Does It” 11/26/03)
• Get the right amount of sleep

And you can further prepare with proven immune system enhancers, such as echinacea, vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene; all of which have been shown to help fight colds and flu. Selenium is also an effective flu fighter, as is zinc and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an amino acid that stimulates your body to produce the powerful antioxidant enzyme glutathione.

For more information about effective ways to enhance your immune system, check the e-Alert “Fantastic Four” (10/3/05), which you can find at this link:

http://www.hsionline.com/ealerts/ea200510/ea20051003.html

Sources:
“Doctors Report Feast and Famine for Flu Vaccines” Richard Knox, NPR Morning Edition, 10/5/06, npr.org
“Key Facts About Influenza (Flu) Vaccine” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cdc.gov
“Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Seasonal Mortality in the US Elderly Population” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 165, No. 3, 2/14/05, archinte.ama-assn.org