Flu season in the United States generally runs from late October through early May and we all have to make that choice about whether or not to get vaccinated or bolster our immune systems naturally and hope for the best. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends that people get vaccinated against influenza as soon as flu season vaccine becomes available in their community.
In Colorado, however, hospital employees are forced to get vaccinated by the end of the year or lose their jobs. When asked if it is fair to threaten employees with the loss of their jobs, Colorado Hospital Association President and CEO Steven Summer said, “We need to have a workforce available when the public needs it if they are sick. I think people choose to work in a hospital.”
According to the CDC, Flu vaccines are designed to protect against three influenza viruses that experts predict will be the most common during the upcoming season. Three kinds of influenza viruses commonly circulate among people today: influenza B viruses, influenza A (H1N1) viruses, and influenza A (H3N2) viruses. Each year, one flu virus of each kind is used to produce seasonal influenza vaccine. If you come into contact with a different strain of virus you will still get the flu. This fact, along with others, has created concerns with these workers who are now threatened with their jobs if they do not obey these new rules. An excellent article and 8 minute film gives a great explanation about their concerns.
Mentioned in the video is the use of Vitamin D3 as a valid supplement, particularly in the winter months when the flu season is so prevalent. Another article regarding Vitamin D3 and the flu emphasized this very fact. To determine if you are deficient in this important nutrient take the quiz at this link and/or ask your doctor to check your Vitamin D levels with a simple test.
Improving our health and well-being is a daily choice in what we decide to eat, toxins we expose ourselves to, even how we deal with the daily stresses of our lives. Setting up a medicine cabinet with natural solutions also can be helpful. Check out this helpful page concerning that.
A hospital setting definitely puts one more in contact with the flu and viruses and I am sure that is why the mandatory compliance to the requirement of a flu shot. For those with strong, healthy immune systems, however, I do believe prevention is the best course and choose diet, exercise, stress reduction and supplementation as an alternative to a flu shot. What about you?