A shot for flu? No thank you!

Among the many things COVID has taught us is that we should be wary of those insisting we be jabbed with something foreign to protect us and others.  Turns out the vaxx didn’t protect against infection or slow its spread, and oh those side effects!  Peter McCullough, one of the heroes in bringing reason to our fight against COVID, continues to fight the good fight and keeps his followers posted with his “Courageous Discourse” site.

This morning (1), he brought to our attention a study published in 2012 (2) that the seasonal flu shot increased the frequency of common colds.  In a prospective, randomized study kids 6-15 were given either the 2008-9 seasonal flu vaccine or placebo and followed for 14 weeks.  Vaccinated kids got way more colds.  Like the flu shot was distracting their immune systems from what they’re supposed to be doing.  Like Dr. McCullough, I had to take the flu shot as condition of my continued employment for 40 years.  One of the many small joys of retirement is that I don’t have to do that anymore.  The vaccine doesn’t work very well anyway (3).   The virus mutates all the time and scientists just guess to see what structures the vaccine should mimic; furthermore, it seems that each vaccination reduces the efficacy of each subsequent vaccination (4).

Dr. McCullough abstracted the study’s findings as follows:

“In 2012, Cowling et al performed a prospective, double-blind randomized placebo controlled trial in children ages 6-15 years to who received either the 2008–2009 seasonal trivalent influenza inactivated vaccine (TIV; 0.5 mL Vaxigrip; Sanofi Pasteur) or placebo. The results were stunning. While summer and winter colds were not statistically different, proven viral infections within two weeks of the shot confirmed by PCR testing were 4.4-fold greater in those who took the flu shot.

The shortcoming of the study was the narrow 14-day window. With summer infection trends among the vaccinated up 30 to 49%, it is possible that if all infections were captured and tested that the immune dysregulation effect could have lasted far longer than 14 days.  Since the chances of any healthy child or adult getting hospitalized with influenza is <1% in any given year, many will choose to remain healthier and have a greater freedom from getting sick by skipping the flu shot. Because influenza vaccination has modest to no efficacy against flu each year and tends to strike the vulnerable, the burden of illness remains substantial. Early treatment with antiviral and antibiotics is the mainstay for preventing hospitalization or death.”

Of course, the flu isn’t fun, whether you’re just achy and feverish for a few days or hospitalized in respiratory distress (influenza primarily attacks the lungs), so who wouldn’t want to do something to avoid it?  Turns out, the shot doesn’t really do that.  Perhaps the infirm, immunosuppressed and elderly should be protected, however meagerly.  But us normal folks?  Nah.  There are safe antivirals out there that will reduce the duration of flu, especially if taken soon after onset of symptoms.  Tamiflu (oseltamivir) gets all the press.  A pill, it can cause some stomach distress.  I have personal experience with the less commonly used Relenza (zamivir), an inhaled powder that competes with the virus as it tries to attach to lung cells.  About 10-15 years ago, I went into my office one morning feeling fine and by noon was a basket case: cough, fever, achy, extreme fatigue.  I diagnosed myself with the flu and got a colleague to prescribe me Relenza.  I puffed on that puppy as directed and by the next day was all better.  A miracle.  I still have a couple unused devices in my medicine cabinet.   So, my free medical advice to you – always worth every penny – is to refuse the flu shot but ask your doc to prescribe Relenza (not Tamiflu) if the flu hits you.

These days make me wonder if those crazy Firesign Theater guys back in college had it right all along.

You can hear the whole side here (5).  To recreate that atmosphere in my West Quad dorm room where I first heard it in 1970, you’ll need some help from your local dispensary.

“Weird Al” has a more tuneful take on the same concept (6).

Be well.  Stay as far away from doctors as possible, seekers.

References

1. McCullough PA.  Flu Shots Increase Susceptibility to Common Cold.Randomized Trial Demonstrates Tradeoff.  Courageous Discourse 12/4/2024.  https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/flu-shots-increase-susceptibility?utm_campaign=email-post&r=xihj0&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

2. Cowling BJ, Fang VJ, Nishiura H, Chan KH, Ng S, Ip DK, Chiu SS, Leung GM, Peiris JS. Increased risk of noninfluenza respiratory virus infections associated with receipt of inactivated influenza vaccine. Clin Infect Dis. 2012 Jun;54(12):1778-83. doi: 10.1093/cid/cis307.   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3404712/

3. Tenforde MW, Weber ZA, Yang DH, DeSilva MB, Dascomb K, Irving SA, Naleway AL, Gaglani M, Fireman B, Lewis N, Zerbo O, Goddard K, Timbol J, Hansen JR, Grisel N, Arndorfer J, McEvoy CE, Essien IJ, Rao S, Grannis SJ, Kharbanda AB, Natarajan K, Ong TC, Embi PJ, Ball SW, Dunne MM, Kirshner L, Wiegand RE, Dickerson M, Patel P, Ray C, Flannery B, Garg S, Adams K, Klein NP. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Against Influenza A-Associated Emergency Department, Urgent Care, and Hospitalization Encounters Among US Adults, 2022-2023. J Infect Dis. 2024 Jul 25;230(1):141-151. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiad542.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39052725/

4. Murray T. Repeated flu shots may blunt effectiveness. CMAJ. 2015 Apr 7;187(6):E180. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.109-5000. Epub 2015 Mar 2.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25733738/

5. tdalaska.  Firesign Theater.  Everything you know is wrong (side A).  YouTube https://youtu.be/YKZtt2yEwfs?si=sVukbMVtjGhm7FCT

6. kristine kreations.  “Weird Al” Yankovic.  Everything you know is wrong (4K).  YouTube https://youtu.be/EGC09B810Yk?si=HCpEwTxv2xJTqnpS