My wife gets a flu shot and I don't. I am 54 and in good health but now my wife and doctor are both bugging me to get one. What do you think?

©2008 Robert A. Weissberg, MD

A virus contains nucleic acids made up into genes, and other chemicals, usually proteins, which enable the virus to attach to and enter living cells, and re-program or influence the functions of those cells, often leading to cell death, and production of more virus. The Influenza virus comes in two "flavors," A & B. Each of these has varieties based on the properties of several different enzymes coded by the viral genome. Two of these are termed 'H' and 'N'. Different varieties of Influenza are prevalent at different times, and one can mutate into another, giving us a rather complex situation. When we get exposed to the influenza virus, we don't always get sick, and a variety of people exposed to the same amount of virus don't get sick the same way, or do not develop equally severe illness. This involves: nutritional status; relative health of the immune system; previous exposure to the virus or its associated chemicals; overall stress levels. Factors other than strictly the presence of virus are called "host factors." This is from a basic allopathic, infectious disease model, prevalent in "conventional medicine."

When we allow other systems to inform us, we see, for example, that TCM and Ayurveda speak of energy and organ balance, Homeopathy deals with resonance to patterns of energy and spirit, and many alternative and complementary systems recognize and work with the basic vitality and life force of the organism, and see an illness like Influenza as representing a detoxification and rebalancing process—the more toxic and imbalanced you are, the more severe the illness will be.

The idea of a vaccine is to expose us to a non-disease-causing part of the virus, so that we can make antibodies and white blood cells to fight the virus in case of exposure. This can have some side effects, such as mild feelings of illness, fatigue, and a sore injection site, or, in a few people, major side-effects, such as neurologic dysfunction or temporary arthritis. Also, if the "host factors" or energy balance are optimal, the person might not ever get sick, even with virus exposure, with or without the vaccine. And, if these factors are bad enough, the vaccine will do very little.

We know, statistically, that the chance of Influenza exposure leading to severe illness, hospitalization and even death is higher the older we are after age 50, or in people with chronic illness, or with existing lung disease, and in people who are over-stressed, malnourished, and exposed to toxins, or for people exposed repeatedly to virus. For these people, it may be a favorable risk:benefit ratio to use the vaccine. For others, it may not be. And, it is very important to support and boost the immune functions and get the energy in balance, clean up the diet, get regular exercise, engage in proper stress management, and avoid toxin exposure, whether or not vaccine is used. In the very least, these measures will make the vaccine more effective, or maybe not add much additional.

So the full answer for our patient depends on many factors. I personally do not see Influenza vaccine, which might reduce the risk of catching Influenza for many, but far from all people, to be a bad or dangerous treatment, but it needs to be seen in the total health and wellness perspective, as part of the full spectrum of treatments available. Engaging in activities which will improve overall immune function, nutrition, energy and organ balance, and level of vitality obviously have far more benefits in promoting wellness and integration than preventing Influenza.