Preparing for Flu Season
As winter approaches, it’s time to begin thinking about getting your flu vaccine. Normally, I am not a big fan of medical interventions, but the flu vaccine is one that provides great benefit with little risk. I recommend all of my patients get a flu vaccine each year, unless they have a contraindication.
National Recommendations
The CDC recommends that everyone older than 6 months of age obtain a flu vaccine each year. Ideally, you should get vaccinated in November. November through May is flu season, with peak infection occurring during the winter months.
Flu Vaccine Benefits
Avoid the Flu
In general, the flu vaccine reduces the risk of getting the flu by 60-70%. In addition, the antibodies generated from the vaccine may also confer protection against other strains of flu virus that are not included in the vaccine.
Reduce Your Chances of Future Heart Attack and Death
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine followed 260,000 adults age 65 and older showed a 49% reduction in risk of death from all causes (heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, flu, etc.) A subsequent review published in Circulation Journal showed similar provocative findings.
If you ever had ‘the flu’, you will remember with exceptional clarity that you feel like a truck hit you – your entire body aches, your joints hurt, and you are laid out in bed. These symptoms are diagnostic of your body’s immense immune response and the resulting inflammation makes you feel achey and exhausted. This large inflammatory response is thought to increase the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or other major life threatening event. Inflammation is one of the central underlying physiological pathways that results in disease and illness.
Which Flu Vaccine Should I Get?
In my practice, I offer the inactivated single-dose quadrivalent (4 strains in lieu of 3 strains) vaccine. It contains no mercury/thimerosal preservatives.
Side Effects and Contraindications
It’s not unusual to feel soreness where the vaccine is given (typically on the shoulder). 10-20% people may feel body aches or low-grade fever. With the exception of one vaccine (trivalent recombinant influenza vaccine, or RIV3), all flu vaccines are cultured in chicken eggs; therefore, if you are allergic to eggs or have had a bad reaction to vaccination previously, you should consult with your physician and consider getting RIV3.
Other Ways to Protect Yourself From the Flu
Boost Your Immune System
Follow my 6 Pillars of Healthy Living as a guide:
Active Living – engage in at least 20 minutes of physical activity daily.
Healthy Eating – eat root vegetables and warming foods.
Restorative Sleep – unplug 60 minutes before bedtime and be in bed before 10:00 pm.
Cultivating Resilience – engage in daily prayer or meditation (sitting or moving).
Connection – isolation has been shown to lower immune function.
Finding Passion & Purpose – engagement with your passion(s) boosts immune function!
Dietary Supplements
Take dietary supplements during the winter season:
Mushroom formulas (e.g. Stamets 7®)
Oscillococcinum (if you get the flu) or Vitamin C (1-3 grams daily)
Elderberry
Herbal formulations specific to your condition
