GUEST EDITORIAL
Exploring the Efficacy Of & Rationale Behind the FLU SHOT
others,” the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states on its web- site.
E Now, more than ever before, that advice is being heavily
scrutinized. First and foremost, a very pertinent question exists as to whether or not the flu shot is really the best defense against the influenza virus. Your immune system is designed to combat
ach year, the demand seemingly gets stronger. “An an- nual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and spread it to
foreign invaders such as viruses, and you encounter on a daily basis a plethora of things from the environmental allergens in the air that you breathe to the bacteria that may live in the food that you eat to which your immune system must respond. Immunity is built by these interactions and its development is one of the many automatic processes that occur in your body. Everyone is exposed to the many different strains of the flu
virus; whether or not you start to exhibit signs that it has entered your system and proliferated in its battle against your innate defense is determined by the strength of your immune system. Viruses like influenza are not predators; they are more like scav- engers. Rather than attack people at random, you might say that the flu seeks out hosts that will allow it to thrive; if your immune system is weak, then you are a prime candidate. The long-established medical mindset has been that the human body is not capable enough to build immunity on its own, but considering that you are exposed to millions of potential microorganisms that can cause infection every day yet only rarely fall ill, it would be fair to say that the exception is being treated as the rule. Logic and a basic understanding of physiol- ogy would, therefore, dictate that a strong immune system would give you the best chance to prevent the flu and not the vaccine. Though you have no conscious control over the actions of
the immune system, you still have the ability to consciously make choices that will heavily influence the strength of your system. Your brain is directly linked to your immune system via your nerves, your spinal cord, and ultimately your brainstem. Like the general of any defense system, the brain must be able to prop- erly communicate with the cells that it deploys to fight your body’s battles. How well that communication system is functioning is, therefore, very important. The cells are replenished regularly, produced by glands that get the materials necessary to build new cells by the food that we eat, so nutritional decisions also govern your ability to create a strong and efficient immune system. Of the five essential categories to healthy living, normal
function and nutrition are the core elements that control immu- nity but, stress being like a vice-grip on your body, your ability
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