Yes, it's true: CDC admits this year's flu shot doesn't work

(NaturalNews) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has admitted that this year's flu vaccine currently provides less than 50 percent protection against the most dangerous and common circulating strain of the influenza virus.

Yet the agency not only encourages people to get vaccinated anyway but is also urging doctors to step up the use of antiviral drugs that provide barely any health benefit.

Each flu vaccine contains a weakened or killed form of three or four strains of flu virus that have been selected based on the strains that researchers thought would be circulating that year. One of the strains is always a variety of Type A H3N2 flu virus. H3N2 is the strain that tends to circulate most widely during flu season and is responsible for more hospitalizations and deaths (especially in the elderly) than other flu types.

This year, the strain of H3N2 circulating most widely is not the one included in the vaccine.

Approximately 150 million people have already received the flu shot this year to date.

Even less effective than usual

The H3N2 strain circulating most widely this year was first detected in March 2014, after this year's flu vaccine was already in production.

"This is not something that's been around before," CDC Director Tom Frieden said.

Of all samples taken of circulating H3N2 strains, only 48 percent match the variety included in the vaccine. This is considered a poor rate of effectiveness.

Due to the nature of the disease, however, the effectiveness of the flu vaccine is never particularly high. Last winter's effectiveness rate of just 50 to 55 percent (that is, an ineffectiveness rate of 50 percent!) is considered fairly high by experts.

The recent announcement marks the second time this year that the CDC has publicly acknowledged the 2014-2015 flu vaccine's ineffectiveness. At a scientific CDC meeting in October, officials were informed that preliminary results from three separate studies showed that the live virus version of the 2013-2014 flu vaccine provided children with little or no immunity against the years' most common circulating strain of swine flu. Since the vaccine formulation has not changed, it may be equally or more ineffective this year.

CDC alarmism unwarranted

In its recent announcement, the CDC played up the supposed danger of the influenza virus.

"Though we cannot predict what will happen the rest of this flu season, it's possible we may have a season that's more severe than most," Frieden said.

The agency issued an advisory to doctors urging them to watch out for people at greater risk of flu complications and to consider immediately treating such people with antiviral drugs, without waiting for a positive flu test.

Anti-influenza drugs have a very limited window in which they must be taken to be effective and are best taken within two days of symptom onset. They only lessen the disease's length by about a day.

In spite of CDC alarmism, very few people die from the flu each year. According to death records from the National Vital Statistics System, only 500 people died from the flu in all of 2010 -- far lower than CDC estimates of 24,000-36,000. CDC estimates are so much higher because the agency lumps pneumonia and the flu together as a single cause of death, even though it admits that "only 8.5% of all pneumonia and influenza deaths [are] influenza-related."

According to Dr. Glen Nowak, associate director for communications at CDC's National Immunization Program, the CDC made a conscious decision to inflate influenza mortality numbers in 2003.

"The manufacturers were telling us that they weren't receiving a lot of orders for vaccine," Dr. Nowak said. "It really did look like we needed to do something to encourage people to get a flu shot."

Sources: 

http://cnsnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/047955_flu_shot_CDC_vaccine_industry.html#ixzz3NOIHiRxA

7 Ways to help your body detoxify

(NaturalNews) When you choose to do a cleanse or detox, your goal is to rid the body of as many toxins as possible. Pathogens, parasites, heavy metals, chemicals, and Candida are all targeted for elimination. A really good detox diet helps to cleanse the digestive tract, the kidneys, the liver, and the gallbladder, followed by the rest of the body. So what other actions can you take to help the process?

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of any health regime, and it is important during a cleanse or detox as well. Your health should dictate how hard you exercise. Obviously, a radical detox is not the best time to push yourself too hard. The focus is on healing, not fitness.

Your lymphatic system needs movement in order to circulate. Rebounding is great for the lymphatic system. Walk, jump rope, yoga--all are great.

Squats also help detoxify the body. They help stimulate your elimination organs and they produce beneficial hormones.

We release more toxins through our breath than we do through bowel elimination and urination combined. When the blood gets pumping, and we're breathing heavily, the body is flushing itself. Sweating is also great for detoxing. But again, If you are healthy and you exercise vigorously on a regular basis, just listen to your body and take is slowly if need be. And if you're not physically fit, or if you are considerably toxic and unhealthy, be careful.

Hydrotherapy

Don't underestimate this one! Hot and cold hydrotherapy really moves the blood through the body. Heat dilates the vessels, pulling the blood to the surface. Cold does the opposite, constricting the surface vessels and driving the blood deep into the body. Use a shower wand or stand in a shower to alternate hot and cold.

Dry sauna or steam room

A dry sauna or steam room makes you sweat, helping you eliminate toxins through the skin. Sweating is also great for your skin, as it opens your pores allowing dirt and debris to be washed away. Remember to hydrate after sweating. As you detox, you should be drinking large amounts of clean water. A gallon of cranberry lemonade will aid in your detox and re-hydrate your body after sweating. (See link below.)

Massage

Massage helps release toxins from the muscles and tissues, oxygenates the tissues, and moves the blood and lymph throughout the body. The movement of the two circulatory systems filters the blood, removing waste products from the cells and aiding the immune system in dealing with pathogens.

Massage can be therapeutic on other levels as well. Deep massage frees up muscles that have become held in place by scar tissue or sheathing after years of poor posture, repetitive movement, injury, or illness. This kind of massage can actually be quite painful, but the results are amazing.

Epsom salts bath

A proper Epsom salt bath pulls toxins from tissues and allows the body to soak up minerals. Make sure that you spend a full 40 minutes in the tub. The first 20 minutes pulls out toxins. In the second 20 minutes, the body soaks up magnesium and sulfates.

Turbocharge any detox with niacin

Niacin (B3) is an inexpensive way to boost the efficacy of a detox. Most doctors recommend starting with 100 mg. I weigh 220 pounds and I took 1,500 mg for three days. Don't take it for more than a few days. Drink lots of fluid (like the cranberry lemonade) and sweat out the toxins. Niacin won't do you much good if you aren't flushing out the junk while you do it. It's powerful. You'll be itchy, hot, and flush red all over. The effects last about an hour. Most people without damaged livers can easily handle 500 mg for a few days.

Cranberry Lemonade

Make a gallon of cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia. This will help balance the body's PH, flush toxins, detoxify the liver and kidneys, flush all of the glands, and clean the blood.

In conclusion

A cleanse or detox is a wonderful way to aid your immune system in eliminating waste, debris, pathogens, and parasites from the body. Using all available resources in addition to diet, will aid you in a more complete and rapid detox. These tips can also be utilized on a daily basis to help your body detox even when you are not on a specific detoxification regimen. Don't forget garlic! Eat lots of garlic. It detoxifies the body as well.

The most important aspect of a good detox for most people is eliminating excess candida and balancing gut flora. Also check out this protocol, and see the first source for the cranberry lemonade recipe.

Sources:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.healingthebody.ca

http://truthwiki.org/Garlic

About the author:
Kali Sinclair is a copywriter for Green Lifestyle Market, and a lead editor for Organic Lifestyle Magazine. Kali was very sick with autoimmune disease and realized that conventional medicine was not working for her. She has been restoring her health by natural means and is interested in topics including natural health, environmental issues, and human rights.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/047951_detoxification_toxin_elimination_detox_regimen.html#ixzz3NOH4euH0

Big Pharma labs routinely delete toxic drugs' failed test results, then ship them to US customers

(NaturalNews) One of the problems with pharmaceuticals (as opposed to most natural remedies) is the fact that, whenever you swallow a pill or receive an injection, you are forced to place your trust in whoever manufactured the medication.

There is no way to determine beforehand whether or not the dose you are taking is safe and effective -- you can only rely on the assumption that the drug has been manufactured according to rigorous standards and thoroughly tested in regard to its efficacy and purity.

Unfortunately, although those standards and testing procedures exist, many unscrupulous drug manufacturers have been caught deleting or altering test results for batches of pharmaceuticals or their ingredients that should have been rejected, but which instead have found their way onto the shelves of U.S. hospitals and pharmacies.

This is a widespread problem, particularly regarding generic medications being imported into the U.S. by drug makers who manufacture their products in other countries, such as India and China.

A recent report published by Bloomberg News has revealed that U.S.-owned drug manufacturing facilities in India have been caught routinely deleting failed purity test results for batches of drugs which subsequently were shipped to the United States and prescribed to unsuspecting patients.

According to FDA documents obtained by Bloomberg, there were 5,301 incidences of deleted test results in one Indian lab facility alone -- a lab owned by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

It was reported by the FDA that, when test samples at the lab failed to pass chemical analyses for purity, the results were deleted so that other samples could be taken from the same batches which gave passing results.

This was not an isolated case. Alarmingly, the practice seems to be common among pharmaceutical labs in India, which is the second-biggest drug exporter (behind China) to the U.S.

According to Bloomberg:

A review of FDA documents by Bloomberg News found that similar actions on quality tests have happened at dozens of other companies' plants across India that make drug ingredients and pills for export to the U.S. While not as visible as the dead frogs and flies inspectors have found in other Indian labs, the pattern of data integrity breaches worries doctors in the U.S. and elsewhere. They say they fear prescribing generic drugs that may not do what they're supposed to.

Indian pharma labs manufacture mostly generic drugs or ingredients used in other drugs. The ten largest Indian drug makers rake in $15 billion per year, according to Bloomberg's calculations, and there is very little oversight of the industry.

When drugs are shipped to the U.S., there are no purity tests required as they enter the country. This means that the FDA must rely on the manufacturers to police themselves -- there are only around one dozen FDA inspectors in India, and they conduct investigations only when enough complaints are lodged about a particular drug.

India itself only has 400 staff and 1,500 additional personnel working for its Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, while there are 600 drug manufacturing factories in the country which are registered in the U.S.

G.N. Singh, India's Drugs Controller General, has said that he is hoping to increase the total number of personnel to 10,000 or 12,000 within the next five years, but that may be an unrealistic goal.

India only began requiring manufacturer compliance last year to laboratory guidelines it introduced in 2012. Meanwhile, there's no way of knowing how many tainted drug shipments have reached the U.S. and how many of them are still being prescribed to American patients.

There is often a lag between the time an FDA inspection is made and a resulting export prohibition is implemented -- sometimes the process takes weeks or even months.

In the case of Sun Pharmaceuticals, it took the FDA four months to ban the lab's exports after the inspection in which computer files containing the deleted test results were found.

The files containing the deleted test data might never have been recovered if it weren't for the fact that the lab was using a software program that prevents test results from being erased. The software, a chromatography data system (CDS), is designed to "help labs comply with government regulations."

Luckily, in this case, someone finally paid attention -- but not until after the practice of hiding test results occurred more than 5,000 times.

It appears fairly obvious that the the laws regulating the importation of drugs into the U.S. favor those who make and sell them, and not those who take them. To rely on the foreign labs to largely police themselves and have no testing requirements at U.S. borders when the shipments arrive seems ludicrous, especially when the consequences could threaten lives.

All this points to the fact that Big Pharma cares more about profits than it does about people -- and that U.S. authorities are not doing enough to ensure that the drugs we are taking are safe.

Source:

http://www.bloomberg.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/047954_Big_Pharma_toxic_drugs_test_results.html#ixzz3NOGPhGMF

GMO-labeling movement needs YOU to stop Congress from passing the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act

(NaturalNews) An effort is underway in Congress to preempt states who want to require foods to carry labels describing any genetically modified ingredients via legislation, but pro-GMO-labeling groups are attempting to rally the general public to oppose the measure.

"The GMO labeling movement won big in Vermont this year. And we may still win in Oregon, once all the votes are in," says a press release and appeal for action from a pair of groups, Millions Against Monsanto and the Organic Consumers Association (OCA). "But those laws will be nullified, and we will lose the right to pass any future state or federal mandatory GMO labeling laws, if Congress passes H.R. 4432, a bill to preempt mandatory GMO labeling laws."

The measure, known as the "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act," was introduced in April by Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas. You can petition your representative to reject the bill here.

"But there's nothing safe or accurate about it," the OCA says on its website. "H.R. 4432 would modify the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act to establish a voluntary federal labeling standard for genetically engineered foods. It would specifically prohibit Congress or individual states from requiring mandatory labeling of GMO foods or ingredients."

The bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on health in April, according to Congress.gov. A summary of the legislation says it "amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish premarket notification requirements for a bioengineered organism intended for a food use or application," and it "defines 'bioengineered organism' to mean a plant or any part of a plant which contains genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques when such modification could not otherwise be obtained using conventional breeding techniques."

But opponents of the measure are calling it DARK -- the "Deny Americans the Right to Know" Act.

House hearing coming up

"At this very moment, Monsanto and Big Food are gunning to pass this law," say the two organizations. "We need to stop this attack on the constitutional right of states to pass GMO labeling laws. That's why we're planning a massive protest and media event in Washington D.C. Can you help organize a bus from your area?"

Opposition groups say the House has scheduled a hearing on December 10, and the OCA in particular says it is working with a number of state activists, including those in New York, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maryland, to bus pro-GMO-labeling advocates to the nation's capital on the hearing date.

An Energy and Commerce Committee announcement for the hearing can be found here.

"What will we do there? We will fill the hearing room and line the streets with consumers and citizens who will make it clear to Congress, the media and the Biotech Bullies and Junk Food Giants that we will not sit quietly by while Congress allows Monsanto to trample on our Democracy and poison our food without transparency or accountability," say the two groups, in their press release.

"If you can fill a bus from your area, OCA will pay the transportation. We are also organizing an organic lunch with speakers and the press, following the hearing."

Activists noted that effort to require labeling of GM ingredients in foods has "not come this far only to allow members of Congress, who have been paid off by Monsanto, to strip us of our constitutional rights." Only mass protests by the American people will prevent that from happening, the groups said.

"People have a right to know what's in their food"

Click here to see a schedule of the day's events on Dec. 10 and to sign an electronic petition voicing opposition to Pompeo's legislation.

In the spring, Vermont became the first state in the country to pass a measure requiring GMO labeling of any food sold in the state.

"We are saying people have a right to know what's in their food," said Vermont Senate President Pro Tempore John Campbell, a Democrat following the 26-2 vote in favor of labeling.

Two other states in the Northeast -- Connecticut and Maine -- have already passed GMO-labeling measures but have delayed their implementation until other neighboring states join them, which is a strategy that they hope will protect them from lawsuits. In recent months, national corporations defeated GMO-labeling measures in California and Washington State.

Groups opposed to the GMO-labeling law, including the Grocery Manufacturers Association, have filed suit against the state -- which anticipated legal action, by the way -- to have the law overturned.

Sources:

http://www.cornucopia.org

http://salsa3.salsalabs.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.gmaonline.org

http://energycommerce.house.gov

http://science.naturalnews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/047940_GMO_labeling_Congress_DARK_Act.html#ixzz3NOEUQZvh

Nature’s antibiotics

Winter has nearly arrived, and we’re naturally worried about viruses. This is certainly justified, but the immune system does a lot more than take on colds and the flu. It’s designed to eliminate whatever is not supposed to be there: viruses, bacteria, fungus, cancer cells and the like. So it’s a good idea to keep your immunity operating at peak efficiency — this includes keeping botanicals on hand that fight bacterial infections with powerful yet safe antibiotic actions.

A few specifics on diet

Fruits and vegetables are critical to any effort to boost the immunity. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other necessary compounds to help keep pathogens in check. In particular, choose colorful fruits and veggies, as the same compounds that create these pigments also provide excellent health benefits.

On the vegetable side, I particularly recommend cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and kale. They are rich in antioxidants, yes, but they also modulate genes associated with immunity and can help control bad bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, sulforaphane, a broccoli derivative, has been shown to fight cancer.

While it’s important to eliminate bad bacteria, it’s equally critical to bolster the good varieties. A slew of new studies are showing that beneficial microbes support digestion, metabolism and mental health, as well as strong immunity.

Maintaining healthy flora in the gut is immensely important, as that’s a major entryway for dangerous pathogens. There are a number of probiotic foods, such as yogurt, kimchee, sauerkraut and kefir, that can bolster these beneficial bacteria, providing total-body health benefits.

Vitamins and minerals

Zinc is an important component to many immune cells, making it a critical immune-boosting nutrient. People who are zinc deficient are also at risk for immune issues, and research has shown that supplementing with zinc can reduce the incidence of infection.

Vitamins are important for a number of reasons. In lab settings, vitamins A, B, C and D have been found to boost a number of immune cells. While these results haven’t quite translated to people, many vitamins also provide protective antioxidant benefits.

One study that I find quite interesting showed that people who ingest fruit and vegetable juices increase their T-cell count and protect their immune cell DNA from damage.

Antibiotic botanicals

As we all know, the major concerns during winter are cold and flu, which are viral infections that do not respond to antibiotics.

However, there is still the issue of co-infections. Sometimes during a cold or flu — or any time your immune system is stressed — an opportunistic bacterium gains a foothold. So it’s a good idea to stock up on natural antibacterial ingredients just in case. These natural agents can support overall immune health in addition to fighting bad bacteria — very different from antibiotic drugs which weaken your system by destroying healthy bacteria as well. Since it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between a viral infection and a bacterial infection, it’s important to consult your health practitioner if symptoms persist.

Here is a brief list of herbs and foods with natural antibiotic and immune boosting properties:

• Cinnamon.
• Clove.
• Echinacea.
• Garlic.
• Honey.
• Sage.
• Usnea.
• Yarrow.
• Oregano.

Exercise and mindfulness

When we get busy, one of the first casualties is our exercise program. We simply run out of time. This is probably the worst thing we can do. With busy schedules comes stress and exercise is one of the best ways to mitigate it. Stress has a profound impact on the body, causing it to overproduce cortisol and other inflammatory hormones, and weaken immunity

Another way to control stress is meditation. Even just taking a few minutes to breathe deeply and let the mind rest can be extremely useful

Ultimately, our immune system responds to the basic fundamentals of our lifestyle: nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress levels. There are no magic bullets, but as we incorporate good habits into our daily lives, we provide a basis for strong immunity and excellent health all year round.

For more health and wellness information, visit www.dreliaz.org.

Nature's most powerful antibiotics in one bottle

(NaturalNews) The spread of the Ebola virus is causing global concern, as it should. On September 30, 2014, the CDC reported that a patient was in critical condition in a Dallas, TX, hospital, having tested POSITIVE for the Ebola virus. There has never been a better time then RIGHT NOW to strengthen your immune system, which may help keep you alive and healthy should the virus spread out of control in major population areas. Your first line of defense against Ebola, or any virus for that matter, is your own immune system, and the recipe below contains seven of nature's most powerful natural antibacterial and antiviral substances.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV):
ACV contains high levels of acetic and malic acid as well as vitamins, mineral salts and amino acids. Some of ACV's active ingredients are soluble fibers in the form of pectin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, lycopene, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and beta-carotene. It also contains other minerals like sodium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. All of these powerful substances work together and make ACV very effective as an antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal tonic.

Garlic:
Garlic has been used for thousands of years to help fight a vast number of illnesses. Garlic produces a chemical called allicin, which is what gives it its powerful smell and makes it effective as an antibacterial and antiviral food. A scientific study of 146 adults showed that taking high doses of Allicin for 12 weeks reduced the chances of catching a cold by 64%, and if a cold did set in, the symptoms were reduced by 70% in the study group.

Ginger:
Ginger is a very powerful and aromatic root. The aromatic smell comes from essential oils and phenolic compounds such as gingerols and shogaols in the root. Gingerols increase the movement of the gastrointestinal tract. It also has analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Horseradish root:
Horseradish has been shown in laboratory tests to be antibiotic, active against a variety of bacteria so this can benefit a sinus, intestinal, bladder and skin infections. It has a high sulfur content, which may contribute to its antibiotic properties. It is also used as a successful vermifuge, helping kill and expel parasites from the system. It is an important immune stimulate which is also known to increase the number of white blood cells in the bloodstream. It's is also a powerful antioxidant, helping counteract the effects of stress and pollution in the environment on the body.

Onion:
For centuries, onions have been used to reduce inflammation and heal infections. A powerful compound called quercetin in onions is known to play a significant role in preventing cancer. Onions scavenge free radicals, thereby reducing your risk of developing gastric ulcers. The phytochemicals in onions improve the absorption of vitamin C by the body, which leads to improved immune system activity.

Habanero peppers:
Habaneros are one of the spiciest foods on the planet, and it is the heat that makes them so beneficial to your health. Habaneros contain a compound called capsaicin. Capsaicin stimulates the blood flow throughout the body, which can help relieve congestion associated with the common cold and sinus infections. They also contain significant amounts of vitamin C, even more than citrus fruits!

Turmeric:
Turmeric has been called the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. This root has been widely studied by science for its incredible healing properties. It has very powerful compounds called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. Curcumin is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level, blocking certain molecules from entering and disrupting proper cellular function.

To make your own recipe, visit: EarthieMama.com.

Sources:

http://www.earthiemama.com

http://bragg.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://truthwiki.org/garlic

http://truthwiki.org/turmeric

http://truthwiki.org/ginger

About the author:
Alex is a TRUE Earthie Mama, helping others tune into their most natural state while bringing harmony and balance into all areas of their lives in order to THRIVE. Alex has a well known blog on health, wellness, conscious parenting, green living and getting off the grid to self sustainability. www.earthiemama.com

Please check out her website at www.earthiemama.com
She sells all natural products and her Ebooks on Natural Body Care Products and 10 Superfoods and Recipes for Babies and Toddlers.

find Earthie Mama on facebook page at www.facebook.com/TrueEarthMama

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/047939_natural_antibiotics_apple_cider_vinegar_garlic.html#ixzz3NO2zj58k

Flu shot statistics and alternatives

(NaturalNews) Flu season is upon us. It's time to decide if you or your children will receive a flu shot this year. After all, 23,607- 35,000 people die from the flu each year, right? You don't want to be included in this year's statistics! But are those numbers accurate?

You're not going to find any clear answers from the CDC. If you start drilling down, searching for the actual numbers of flu victims, flu deaths, and the efficacy of the vaccine on their website, suddenly nothing is clear - except the fact that the vaccine industry is a big business and the CDC does a superior job of hiding actual facts and figures under a mountain of doublespeak.

What are the actual numbers?

No one knows. The CDC uses statistical projections to estimate the number of flu cases based on any illness that may be related to secondary infections caused by the flu.

Why?

• States are not required to report flu deaths in adults.
• Influenza is rarely listed on the death certificate as a cause of death when patients die of flu-related illnesses.
• Many deaths occur weeks after the initial flu infection due to a secondary infection or complications of an existing chronic condition, but most of these people were never tested for the flu!
• Tests for the virus must be administered within a week of onset with another test taken later.
• False negative test results are common.

So how do they determine the number of deaths due to influenza?

The CDC uses pneumonia along with respiratory and circulatory illness as a cause of death to guess at how many actually died from complications of influenza that was never verified in the first place.

And then, they lump pneumonia and influenza together as one of the top leading causes of death in the U.S.

There are no real facts or figures to tell us how many cause influenza, how many died from influenza, or how effective the flu shot is in preventing the disease.

It is time for the CDC to publish actual facts regarding influenza. They can do this by publishing the following:

• What strains of influenza were used for the annual flu shot?
• How many actual verified cases of every type of influenza were reported? ?
• How many patients were confirmed with each type?
• Of these patients, how many of the patients were immunized with the correct vaccine?
• How many in each category died?

If this information was readily available to the public, we could decide for ourselves if the risks of catching influenza was greater than the flu shot itself - that is if we were also told the whole truth about the ingredients and the number of vaccine related injuries and deaths.

If you choose to avoid flu vaccination and rely on alternative care for the flu, remember that alternative care for any disease starts with prevention - in other words, a healthy diet and lifestyle. A healthy immune system requires a healthy gut and adequate exercise to circulate lymph throughout the body. Yes, there are tinctures and home remedies to stop viruses in their tracks, but they work the best when you provide the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.

At the first sign of illness, gargle - gargle a lot. Apple cider vinegar is a great choice, but you may need to dilute it at first; it works better if you don't. Even if you use salt water, gargling reduces the viral load. Eat raw garlic and drinks extra fluids. Avoid all sugar! Sugar feeds bacteria and viruses. Check out Bullet Proof Your Immune System and Detoxify from Vaccinations & Heavy Metals.

Sources:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.cdc.gov/flu

http://truthwiki.org/Garlic

About the author:
Kali Sinclair is a copywriter for Green Lifestyle Market, and a lead editor for Organic Lifestyle Magazine. Kali was very sick with autoimmune disease and realized that conventional medicine was not working for her. She has been restoring her health by natural means and is interested in topics including natural health, environmental issues, and human rights.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/047936_flu_shots_vaccine_efficacy_influenza_statistics.html#ixzz3NO23Uj8x

Big Pharma's secret payments to corrupt doctors, scientists finally to be exposed by US government

(NaturalNews) The legacy of back room wheelin' and dealin' by the drug industry, which routinely pays off doctors and academic researchers to hawk oftentimes dangerous and ineffective pharmaceuticals and medical devices, could soon be blown wide open by newly enacted legislation passed as part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which was successfully moved through the Senate with the help of an extensive investigation led by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), provisions that doctors who receive payoffs from drug or vaccine companies must disclose this when pushing new therapies or medical procedures from what would otherwise appear to be unbiased intentions.

The law was reportedly added to Obamacare because it was unlikely to pass on its own due to intense industry pressures against any sort of reform. Paying off doctors has become the bread and butter of Big Pharma drug marketing. It's both discreet and highly effective, repeatedly creating the illusion that the medical profession at large endorses the latest drugs and medical procedures, many of which aren't safe and don't work.

Many medical groups have become dependent upon drug industry payoffs

According to the Harvard Business Review's (HBR) Paul Thacker, who served as Sen. Grassley's lead investigator from 2007 to 2010, doctors and medical groups routinely accepts cash payments from the drug industry for speaking engagements, scientific papers, and other medical propaganda designed to make drugs and medical devices appear safer and more effective than they actually are.

An investigation spearheaded by NPR (National Public Radio), Consumer Reports, and ProPublica found that in the three years leading up to its publishing in late 2010, drug companies had settled cases totaling $7 billion for paying doctors to promote drugs. In many cases, doctors were encouraged to prescribe drugs for off-label conditions, or to prescribe expensive drugs when they weren't actually needed.

"Companies were paying physicians to give speeches on behalf of their products and to publish studies (ghostwritten by the companies) that downplayed those products' side effects," wrote Thacker in a recent piece for HBR, noting that many medical professionals have been resistant to congressional efforts to reign in this unconscionably deceitful practice.

"After we launched investigations of more than three dozen patient-advocacy groups and professional medical societies, it became clear why: Most of those organizations depended on income from industry, and many physician-leaders of these groups received large consulting fees."

Disclosure doesn't always deter drug industry corruption

Though drug companies have had to fork out billions of dollars' worth of fines in recent years for defrauding the government and pushing many a dangerous and ineffective drug on consumers, including the infamous Vioxx and Avandia scandals, it is still apparently worth it for the industry to use trusted physicians as mouthpieces for ruthless drug promotion.

And even with tighter restrictions on payment disclosure, drug companies are likely to continue bribing the medical industry to push their unsafe and potentially deadly products. According to a 2012 study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, formerly known as Archives of Internal Medicine, disclosure requirements are unlikely to affect either prescribing behavior or health care costs, which could render them moot.

At the same time, a separate study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) revealed that disclosure does affect the way some physicians view published medical studies. When it is transparent that a paper was funded or ghostwritten by a drug company, doctors are likely to scrutinize it more harshly, found researchers.

Science journals even more plagued by conflicts of interest

Interestingly, medical science has made much greater strides towards addressing conflicts of interest problems than general science. While NEJM and JAMA instituted their first conflict of interest policies back in 1984 and 1985, respectively, the two leading science journals, Science and Nature, didn't institute theirs until 1992 and 2001, respectively.

In 2009, researchers from Tufts University found that science journals have almost always lagged behind medical journals in addressing conflicts of interest, and are generally worse at enforcing their already established disclosure policies.

"Industry has funded campaigns to undermine scientific work that has major public health implications, such as secondhand smoking, obesity, regulation of chemicals, and climate change," added Thacker. "In each case, hidden money buys off science experts, funds think-tank papers, and litters journals with ghostwritten studies."

Thacker's solutions include requiring all agencies that deal with the publishing of science to fully disclose all income sources and other potential conflicts of interest. He also urges the medical community to adopt universal reporting standards that others in the field of science can mimic, while at the same time disallowing the further publishing of any ghostwritten studies drafted by special interests.

Sources:

http://www.gpo.gov (pdf)

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com

http://www.nejm.org

http://www.tandfonline.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/047941_Sunshine_law_corruption_pharmaceuticals.html#ixzz3NO1ZiYKE