Do You Know What’s In A Flu Shot?

I saw a pamphlet at my chiropractors office and it talked about the flu shot. As a concerned parent of two, I found the content very informative.

The pamphlet was written by Ted Koren, DC, and is copyrighted 2008.  You can find the original publication at korenpublications.com.  In the meantime, here’s the info provided:

Do You Know What’s In A Flu Shot?

Every year people are urged to get the flu shot.  According to the media, the medical establishment, and the government, we are facing a possible flu epidemic, and the flu shot is safe and it saves lives.  Let’s take a closer look at these statements.

How many people really get the flu?

Most people suffering from fever, fatigue, cough, and aching muscles think they have the flu.  They do not.  Instead, they have an “influenza-like illness” (ILI) associated with many different “germs” such as rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenoviruses, parainfluenza viruses, Legionella spp., Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, but NOT the flu virus.
In one study, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that only 13.4% of people who had flu symptoms actually had the flu.  The remaining had an ILI.
Why, if most flu-like illness is NOT associated with the flu virus, do we even need a flu shot?

Is the flu shot effective?

According to Sherri Tenpenny, DO, vaccine researcher, “The fact that the flu shots are ineffective in every age group hardly seems to matter to those who continually promote their use.  Multiple studies published in highly reputable publications have documented that flu shots are ineffective in all ages.”
How many people die from the flu?

You may have heard that the flu kills over 30,000 Americans every year.  That is simply not true.  Government statistics lump flu and pneumonia deaths together, but flu deaths are only a small fraction of the total.  For example, in 2002, when the flu plus pneumonia deaths were reported at over 60,000, only 753 were flu deaths.  In 2001, the total number of flu deaths was 267.  Does this justify giving a poorly tested and dangerous vaccine to millions of people?

Flu shots contain mercury – a neurotoxin that damages brain and nerve cells
There are 25 micrograms of mercury per dose in most flu shots.  That number is five times the maximum amount judged safe by the CDC for a 110 lb. person.

A survey of over 9,000 Americans found that an overwhelming majority did not know this.  Moreover, “More than 75% of Americans said a pregnant woman or a child should not get a mercury-laden flu shot,” said Lisa Handley of PutChildrenFirst.org, whose son became autistic after a flu shot.
In 1999 government agencies called for the removal of mercury in vaccines.  However, many vaccines are still permitted to have unsafe levels of mercury.  Some of this year’s flu vaccines still contain mercury.

Nobody really knows what this mixture of chemicals and microorganisms does in our bodies.
Flu shot is linked to Alzheimer’s disease

According to Hugh Fudenberg, MD, the world’s leading immunogeneticist, the chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease is ten times higher if an individual has had five consecutive flu shots.  Dr. Fudenberg states that mercury in the shot causes the brain damage.
Flu vaccination during pregnancy is dangerous and useless

Researchers found that vaccinating mothers does not reduce respiratory illness in their newborns or infants.  “Maternal influenza vaccination did not significantly affect infant outpatient and inpatient visits for acute respiratory illness.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states “mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children.”  Yet pediatricians who tell pregnant women not to eat tuna to avoid mercury still recommend the mercury-laden flu shot, even though mercury injected into the mother is able to cross the placental barrier and enter the fetus.

Flu shot for children?

In 1999, 25 children died from the flu in the entire United States.  In 2000 that number decreased to 19, to 13 in 2001, and to 12 in 2002.  The CDC began to push for flu shots for kids in 2003.  That year the number of flu deaths in children jumped to 90.

Flu shot damages the immune system

No one knows the long-term consequences of repeated influenza vaccinations – it’s never been tested (same with all vaccines).  Repeated vaccination at a young age increases the risk of influenza in older age.  This is possibly due to overall weakening of the immune system.  However, natural flu infection strengthens the immune system.

Flu shot is not completely tested

It is not known if flu vaccines can cause cancer or mutations or cause sterility, reproductive problems or fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.  It is also not known whether flu vaccine is excreted in human milk.

Does the flu shot save lives among the elderly?

Even though immunization rates in those over 65 have increased 50% in the past 20 years, researchers found no decline in flu-related deaths.  Researchers report that studies “substantially” overestimate the vaccine’s benefit.”

Benefits to having illness

Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” recognized the role illness plays in the larger picture of health when he wrote, “Diseases are crises of purification, of toxic elimination. Symptoms are the natural defenses of the body. We call them disease, but in fact they are the cure of diseases.”
In one study, flu sufferers who took aspirin or acetaminophen were sick an average of 3-5 days longer than people who did not take the drugs.

The cleansing or detoxifying aspect of illness (fever, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating) may be why getting colds, flu and infectious diseases has been associated with a decreased risk of cancer.
Researchers found that those who had febrile infectious childhood diseases have less cancer as adults, while another revealed that “a history of common colds or… influenza… was associated with a decreased risk of stomach, colon, rectum, and ovarian cancer.”

Don’t let fear tactics dictate your healthcare decisions.  Make an informed choice.

Ingredients
mercury (thimerosal)
One of the most poisonous substances known. Has an affinity for the brain, gut, liver, bone marrow, and kidneys.  Minute amounts can cause nerve damage.  Symptoms of mercury toxicity are similar to those of autism.
formaldehyde (formalin)
Major component of embalming fluid; poisonous if ingested. Probable cacinogen; suspected gastrointestinal, liver, immune system, nerve, reproductive system, and respiratory poison.  Linked to leukemia, and brain, color, sinus, nasopharynx and lymphatic cancers.
gentamicin sulfate & polymyxin b (antibiotics)
Allergic reactions can range from mild to life-threatening.
chicken embryos
The flu vaccine is made with fluids from chick embryos inoculated with specific type(s) of influenza virus.  People who are allergic to these products (egg or children) or to any of the other ingredients in a vaccine can become seriously ill from the vaccination.
sodium phosphate
Symptoms may include vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, blood chemistry effects, heart disturbances, and central nervous system effects.  May cause inflammation and pain on prolonged contact, especially with moist skin.
gelatin
Produced from selected pieces of calf and cattle skins, demineralized cattle bones, and pork skin.  Allergic reactions have been reported.
polysorbate 80
Known to cause cancer in animals.
neomycin sulfate (antibiotic)
Interferes with Vitamin B6 absorption. An error in the uptake of B6 can cause a rare form of epilepsy and mental retardation. Allergic reactions can be mild to life-threatening.
monosodium glutamate (msg/glutamate/glutamic acid)
Being studied for mutagenic, teratogenic (developmental malformation and monstrosities) and reproductive effects. A neurotoxin.  Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe.
sodium deoxycholate
Promotes tumors and damages DNA.
octoxynol-10 (triton x-100)/octoxyno-9 (polyethylene glycol-p-isooctylphenyl ether; octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol)
Spermicide (kills sperm).  Can cause chills, confusion, dizziness, fever, lightheadedness, muscle aches, peeling of the skin.  Causes sever eye irritation.  Harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or in contact with skin.  Toxicology not fully investigated. May contain traces of ethylene oxide or dioxane, which are probable human cacinogens.  Manufacturer’s website, www.calbiochem.com, states: FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. NOT FOR HUMAN OR DRUG USE.
beta propiolactone

Known to cause cancer. Suspected respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver, skin, and sense organ poison.
NOTE: Vaccine should not be administered to anyone with known systemic hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine.

* It is almost impossible to know, in advance of exposure, if a child or adult has an allergy.

Please visit korenpublications.com for a complete list of resources and references, as well as information on the H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccine.

How many vaccines will your child get? Make an informed choice.

I saw this poster at my chiropractors office and thought it was a gem to share with you.


Your child may receive up to 80 vaccines by six years of age.

Vaccination injects bacteria, viruses, genetic material and many other biological and toxic chemicals (mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, acids) deep into the child's body, where they have access to internal organs (including the brain). The results are a host of illnesses that were rare or non-existent before mass vaccination.

Take a look at this poster to make an informed decision and learn about the various conditions that vaccines are believed to be linked to:


http://www.korenpublications.com/images/products/00000438.pdf

Do NOT Let Your Child Get Flu Vaccine -- 9 Reasons Why By Dr. Mercola

This year it is more important that you protect your children and loved ones from the flu vaccines than influenza itself.

In his article published on LewRockwell.com, Bill Sardi details 18 reasons why you should not vaccinate your children against the flu this season. Here are nine of them:

1. The swine flu is simply another flu. It is not unusually deadly.

2. This is the first time both seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines will be administered. Both seasonal flu and swine flu vaccines will require two inoculations. This is because single inoculations have failed to produce sufficient antibodies. This is an admission that prior flu vaccines were virtually useless. Can you trust them this time?

3. Adjuvants are added to vaccines to boost production of antibodies but may trigger autoimmune reactions. Some adjuvants are mercury (thimerosal), aluminum and squalene. Why would you sign a consent form for your children to be injected with mercury, which is even more brain-toxic than lead?

4. This is the first year mock vaccines have been used to gain FDA approval. The vaccines that have been tested are not the same vaccines your children will be given.

5. Over-vaccination is a common practice now in America. American children are subjected to 29 vaccines by the age of two. Meanwhile, veterinarians have backed off of repeat vaccination in dogs because of observed side effects.

6. Modern medicine has no explanation for autism, despite its continued rise in prevalence. Yet autism is not reported among Amish children who go unvaccinated.

7. Researchers are warning that over-use of the flu vaccine and anti-flu drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza can apply genetic pressure on flu viruses and then they are more likely to mutate into a more deadly strain.

8. Most seasonal influenza A (H1N1) virus strains tested from the United States and other countries are now resistant to Tamiflu (oseltamivir). Tamiflu has become a nearly worthless drug against seasonal flu.

9. Public health officials are irresponsible in their omission of any ways to strengthen immunity against the flu. No options outside of problematic vaccines and anti-flu drugs are offered, despite the fact there is strong evidence that vitamins C and D activate the immune system and the trace mineral selenium prevents the worst form of the disease.

For even more reasons -- 18 in all -- please review the full article on LewRockwell.com.

Article Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/06/why-you-should-not-vaccinate-your-children-against-the-flu-this-season.aspx

THE CHALLENGE THAT IS PARENTING by Ravinder Tulsiani

THE CHALLENGE THAT IS PARENTING

            Whoever said parenting was easy must be daft or has not experienced being a parent at all. Child rearing is a continuous process and does not stop even after the child decides to move out of the house when he or she turns eighteen. Even with years, centuries, and millennia worth of experience, nobody can still determine what parenting methods work and what do not. Parenting is unique to every setup and to every child and remains as unfathomable as ever. With this nature, the best we can do is to prepare ourselves for a bumpy ride and cross our fingers that we rear people who will be significant contributors to society.

We don’t own our children. We’re merely here to teach them the ways of life as we know it so that they succeed and survive gracefully in theirs. We can choose to forego being parents and decide not to have children to escape this difficult feat altogether, though it is highly doubtful that we would be able to experience the level of happiness and fulfillment we would have if we chose to become parents.

            Being a mother or a father is one of the hardest jobs in the world. But it is also the most rewarding of all.

THE MAGIC OF HUGGING by Ravinder Tulsiani

How This Simple Act of Affection Yields Major Gains in the Child’s Health, Disposition, and Overall Development

            In a November 2005 issue of the “The Straits Times”, a leading Singapore daily broadsheet, there is a report on Singaporean scientists’ ongoing efforts to find a way to transmit ‘cyber hugs.’ “The team is thinking of a wireless pajama suit for children,” says research director Adrian Cheok, “which would use the Internet to adjust pressure and temperature to simulate the feeling of being hugged. Parents in a similar suit could be ‘hugged back’ by their children.”

            You may be wondering why science is showing keen interest in such an everyday gesture. Indeed, while you’ve relied on it as a natural painkiller after your little one has scraped his or her knee, hugging unwittingly has many other positive side effects.

            Various studies have shown the close association between the positive emotions derived from this simple act of affection on the one hand and on overall well-being on the other. Hugging and close physical contact have been advocated by countless child experts as an invaluable element in child development.

Hugs Build a Child’s Life Skills.

            Children who are exposed to hugs are often very expressive and warm, while those who aren’t hugged very much or aren’t shown affection by their family usually grow up putting a distance between themselves and other people.

            Hugging is a gesture of affirmation, appreciation, and acknowledgement. A child who is hugged often acquires a positive self-concept, whereas a child who is hug-starved or doesn’t receive any other form of affirmation at home will start asking, “Am I loved here?”

            The indispensability of hugging and physical contact in a child’s development can be attributed to as early as the child’s fetal days, when the warmth and snugness of the womb simulates the feeling of being hugged. The skin of the baby is exposed to warm amniotic fluid the whole time.

            Children in hugging households are equipped with emotional skills that facilitate healthy interpersonal relationships. In fact, hugging and other forms of touch therapy are employed by child experts to help abused children recuperate from emotional trauma. Touch therapy is used a lot, especially with children who have been sexually abused, studies show. It is used with great caution and at a pace the child is comfortable with.

            Hug therapy, if successful in these cases helps restore a child’s ability to cope, to trust in people again, and to emotionally express him or herself – factors necessary in forging healthy intimate relationships as an adult.

Hugs Build A Culture of Peace.

There are differences between ‘hugging’ countries and ‘hands-off’ countries. For instance, American babies are put in nurseries separate from their parents’ rooms. For other cultures, this is not practiced and the babies are immediately roomed in with their mothers. Hugging has been found to affect cultural predispositions towards aggressive behavior. That is, this is said to be why some cultures are more violent than others.

PROMOTING GENDER SENSITIVITY by Ravinder Tulsiani

            We find it normal when boys mess around with plastic popguns and girls play with floral patterned tea sets. But if they trade toys, most of us are overcome with uneasiness, shock, or even anger. Experts say that kids grow into well-rounded adults if their parents allow them to explore all possibilities – and this includes stripping them of gender biases. Therefore, seeing your baby girl play with toy cars and Junior play with Barbie Dolls shouldn't be viewed as a threat, but as an avenue for children to reach their full potential.

            Children begin to form their own concept of gender identity – or the sense of being a boy or a girl – by age one. Some say gender identity is biologically determined. Most psychologists, however, believe that gender identity is determined by environmental factors, particularly in the way parents, relatives, and peers treat children. Once a child's gender identity is established, "gender stability" takes place – which is when children develop gender-typical behaviors.

            Though physically different, both girls and boys should be given equal opportunities to develop their potentials to the fullest. Doing so boosts their self-image and emotional stability. By removing gender stereotypes, you allow your children to explore and develop latent gifts and talents that could otherwise be left untapped.

            It is possible to raise children who are not 'sexist' in their points of view, who have respect for both males and females. Positive parent and teacher child interactions are crucial in forming bias-free outlooks, attitudes, and actions in children. For instance, encourage both boys and girls to keep their rooms clean, fold their own clothes, and put their shoes in place. Just because a woman usually cleans up the mess, it doesn't mean that only females perform these chores. Also, mom and dad should switch household chores once in a while. Dad can do the cooking or iron the clothes, while mom takes out the trash or washes the car.

            Allow both girls and boys to express their emotions. A boy has as much right to break out in tears as a girl has to show assertive behavior in venting her frustration. In addition, boys should be taught to be nurturing and compassionate, while praise and courage should be instilled in girls.

Prompting Gender-Issue Discussions for Kids

            While watching a movie or TV show, ask your kids these questions:

-          Count all the characters in the show. How many are girls? How many are boys?

-          Do the boys act differently from the girls? How? Why do you think that is the case?

-          How many characters in the show were aggressive or violent? How many of the aggressive or violent characters were boys?

-          Which character do you want to be? Why?

-          What did you like about the show? Did anything in the show bother you?

The above questions will help you better introduce gender sensitivity to your child. In fact, these questions not only promote equality but also instill in your child the values of being sensitive to other people's natures, as well as a sense of personal responsibility. This way, you allow him or her to think for himself or herself, instead of relying on other people for opinions all the time.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY by Ravinder Tulsiani

Before They Even Go To School, Kids Learn a Lot of Skills from the World of Play

            For children, play is naturally enjoyable. And since it is their active engagement in things that interest them, play should be child-led, or at least child-inspired, for it to remain relevant and meaningful to them. Children at play are happily lost in themselves; they are in their own realm of wonder, exploration, and adventure, pulling parents in at times with a frequent “Let’s play, mom!” as an open invitation into that world.

            As early as infancy, children immerse themselves in play activities with the purpose of making sense of the world around them. Play gives children the opportunity to learn and experience things themselves, which is vital for their development. Although peek-a-boo games seem pointless to adults, tots are awed by the surprise that awaits them as they see the suddenly emerging faces of people they love.

Stages of Play

During toddlerhood, children experience a motor-growth spurt that equips them to solitarily fiddle with anything they can get their hands on – be it a construction toy or the box from where it came. Toddlers also love breaking into song, wiggling and jiggling to tunes, and imitating finger plays they are commonly exposed to.

Preschoolers begin extending their play to involve others, whether they bring others in at any stage of their game or they plan their game and its players’ way ahead. Their physical and motor skills allow them to widen their lay arena, from dramatic play to table games to outdoor pursuits.

School-age children start appreciating organized play – such as innovated songs and rhymes, games with rules, relays and other physical activities, sports and projects that they can accomplish over a certain time frame.

Play Perks

            Why the big fuss about playing? Play benefits the child in ways that might be a tad difficult for adults to imagine.

1.      Play brings pure and utter joy.

A toddler who jumps into an empty box and runs around the house ‘driving a car’ shows the sheer happiness that play brings him or her. When children are asked what they did in school and they answer ‘play,’ it is a clear sign that these kids remember a feeling of genuine joy that is captured in this four-letter word.

2.      Play fosters socio-emotional learning.

What does a ten-month-old baby who shrieks at the sight of her stuffed toy have in common with a ten-year-old boy who plays basketball with his friends? They both deal with their confidence as they choose to embark on their play activities. At the same time, they are displaying their independence in the decisions that they make. These two children are also internalizing social rules in their respective play situations: the baby waits patiently for her stuffed toy to appear, while the school-age child has to contend with an impending loss in a ball game.

3.      Play hones physical and motor development.

Play often involves the use of the senses, the body, and the extremities. When children play, they exercise their bodies for physical strength, fluidity of movement, balance and coordination.

Perceptual-motor ability, or the capacity to coordinate what you perceive with how you move, is an essential skill that preschoolers need to develop. A three-year-old who is engrossed in digging, scooping, and pouring sand into a container must match his or her perception of the space in front of him or her with actual hand movements, so that he or she can successfully fulfill the motor activity.

4.      Play facilitates cognitive learning.

Play is vital to the intellectual development of a child. We live in a symbolic world in which people need to decode words, actions, and numbers.

For young children, symbols do not naturally mean anything because they are just arbitrary representations of actual objects. The role of play is for the child to understand better cognitive concepts in ways that are enjoyable, real, concrete, and meaningful to them. For instance, through play, a child is able to comprehend that the equation 3 + 2 = 5 means ‘putting together’ his toy cars by lining them up in his makeshift parking lot. When he combines 2 triangles to make a square during block play, or writes down his score is a bowling game, the child is displaying what he knows about shapes and numbers.

Through play, the child is constructing his or her worldview by constantly working and reworking his understanding of concepts.

5.      Play enhances language development.

Toddlers who are still grappling with words need to be immersed in oral language so they can imitate what they hear. They benefit from songs and rhymes that provide the basis for understanding how language works.

When these tots are playing with toys, adults model to them how language is used to label objects or describe an event. At play, preschoolers use language to interact, communicate ideas, and likewise learn from dialogues with more mature members of society.

6.      Play encourages creativity.

Barney the dinosaur was right about using imagination to make things happen. A lump of Play-Doh suddenly turns into spaghetti with meat sauce and cheese; a small towel transforms into a cape that completes a superhero’s wardrobe; and a tin can serves as a drum that accompanies an aspiring rock artist. Play opens an entire avenue for children to express themselves, show what they know and how they feel, and to create their own masterpieces.

7.      Play provides bonding opportunities.

Play is an important factor in child development. It provides for interaction, experimentation, and moral development. Here are some ways by which parents can encourage and support their children’s playtime.

-          Let your child be the player-leader. Let children initiate their activity, set their own theme, choose the parameters where the play will take place. Play becomes a venue for children to express their feelings and be in control.

-          Help them help themselves. When your 5-year-old asks for help, say, figuring out how to piece a puzzle together, stop yourself from coming to her rescue and first ask your child questions that allow him or her to help himself or herself. Say, “Where do you think this piece should go?” Afterward, commend his or her success.

-          Play attention. Once you make a commitment to play with your child, watch for the following signals: Does he or she want you to actively play a part in the activity? Does he or she need encouragement? Is he or she tired or hungry? Does he or she need to take a break?

-          Have a play plan. If you seem to have little time for playing with your child, consider using self-care chores to have fun with him or her. Also, get support from other people in your household, like older siblings, household help, or the child’s grandparents, so that they understand why play is important and how they should continue to encourage it.