Flu Vaccine Only Reduces the Risk of Contracting the Flu by 2%-12%.

Did you know there is only 2%-12% decreased risk (called Absolute Risk) of getting the flu after the flu vaccine?  It’s true!

Here is some straightforward information on your TRUE chances of getting the flu and reducing the risk with vaccine.  I am not anti-vaccine, but I do believe we need accurate information to be able to make educated decisions about what we put in our body and why.

The CDC, and subsequently; pharmaceutical companies, doctors, and different publications states that the decreased risk of getting the flu is: 40% – 60% if you get the flu shot. ­

But here’s what they don’t tell you.

First, your real, actual chance of getting the flu along with most of the population is only 5%-20%. 

Second, you need to know these numbers to understand what your real, actual, absolute risk is of decreasing the flu after getting the flu shot.  (Something the CDC neglects to tell you)

Why?  Absolute vs Relative Risk.  Your chance of getting the flu in general is 5%-20%.  The flu shot decreases your risk of getting the flu by 40% of the 5% which is 2%.  This is called Absolute decreased risk.   When they say your decreased risk of getting the flu is 40%-60%, what do you envision?  Most likely, we all assume it is 40%-60% out of 100%, which sounds great, but is inaccurate. That would be implying that there is a 100% chance we will get the flu every year.  More accurately, we decrease our risk of getting the flu by 40% out of the 5% chance of getting the flu.  When they say the flu shot decreases our risk by 40%, they are referring to relative risk, which in studies and research is where two groups are compared.

The flu vaccine includes substances such as:

• Thimerosal (derivative of mercury)
• Sorbitol, MSG, Sucrose
• Polysorbate 80
• Formaldehyde
• Egg protein

These ingredients can be toxic and even suppress the immune system, something we don’t want to do when we need our immune system to fight off illness.

The flu shot on average covers about 3 – 4 viruses each year, but there are about 219 viruses floating around that infect humans.  Getting the flu shot does not guarantee you won’t get some type of virus. And when you factor in that the decreased risk is actually only 2%-12%, you have to ask yourself; is it worth it for you and your circumstances?

Now, you can make an absolute informed decision because you know your “absolute risk” rather than your relative risk on whether the flu shot is necessary for you and your circumstances.

Scare Tactics

One more thing to consider when making a decision about whether or not to get the flu vaccine:  scare tactics. 

WebMD (and many other publications) state,
“3,000 to 49,000 — Number of people who die each year from flu-related causes in the U.S.”

Stating statistics like these scares many people into believing they might die if they don’t get the flu vaccine.  Typically, the people who are most effected by the flu virus (hospitalizations and death) have serious underlying medical conditions.  And the CDC does not know or keep a record of flu-related deaths.

According to the CDC:
CDC does not count how many people die from flu each year. Unlike flu deaths in children, flu deaths in adults are not nationally reportable.”

This means that we really don’t know how many adults die from the flu virus each year.  It is a guessing game. 

Everyday I read headlines and typically they are overstated, scary, attention-grabbing with no real information other than a few scary, often misleading tidbits.

I hope you walk away with at least some knowledge and understanding of the flu vaccine and why it is important to know the true statistics.  It is always better to be informed when making any health decision.  

If you would like more information or understanding of Absolute vs Relative Risk click here. 

Want some alternative, natural ways to decrease your risk of getting the flu?  Click here for 5 Tips to Naturally Prevent and Shorten Colds & Flu

Cheers to Your Health!

Deb

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Sources:
https://patient.info/health/absolute-risk-and-relative-risk
http://statisticsbyjim.com/hypothesis-testing/flu-shots-effectiveness/
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/10/11/flu-vaccination.aspx
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2016-2017.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3427559/