FDA Fast-Tracks Licensure of MF59 Adjuvanted Influenza Vaccine

I’m exposed to sick patients all day long. With this year’s flu epidemic, I’m with them more than usual. Some of them ask me, “Doc, aren’t you sick yet? Did you get flu this year? Did you get vaccinated?” Yes, the flu season this year is bad. In Boston, at least 18 patients died recently and they declared a medical emergency. New York has also declared an emergency. But you don’t have to be one of the statistics. I’m living proof that flu can be prevented In my practice, one patient ended up in the hospital, and countless others are suffering the symptoms. Me? I feel great, no flu symptoms whatsoever. No sick days, no fever, fatigue, runny nose -- nothing! I have not had flu for years and I am not planning to get it. Obviously, this isn’t because I’m not exposed to flu germs --I have plenty of sick people around me. It’s because my immune system is working properly. Here’s how I achieved it. But first, some background… WHY THE FLU VACCINE IS A LONG SHOT While doing my residency training, I used to get flu at least 2 to 3 times a year. I felt very bad not only because of the sickness, but also because my flu was almost always complicated by laryngitis—which meant I almost always lost my voice. I couldn’t do my job when I couldn’t speak! After a few years of suffering I said to myself: that's enough. I have to do something about it. But what? As a resident in the teaching hospital I had done everything that official medicine required us to do: I got a flu shot every year, I washed my hands religiously, and I wore masks when it was appropriate. It didn’t work—I still got sick. Why? According to official medicine, a flu vaccination should prevent flu. How does it work? By exposing you to flu antigens in a vaccine, you’re supposed to produce antibodies that protect you from the real flu. But the vaccination definitely didn't work--not for me, and not for many of my patients. They used to ask me: "Doc, I got a flu vaccine this year. Why am I sick?" Here’s why. There are lots of strains, or types, of flu that goe around. The vaccine used for flu treatmentcan’t contain all the virus strains that are out there. So even though you are vaccinated, you may still get sick if you catch a flu strain that was not in your vaccine. This happens all the time. AN ANTI-VIRUS FOR THE VIRUS? I needed to find a way to deal with flu. I decided that if a flu vaccine won’t work, I should try anti-viral medications. So I started looking in the medical literature to see what might work. After all, here in the 21st, we should have a reliable flu remedyto escape all those sufferings, right? I was looking, looking, looking… I couldn't find any. To my surprise, there was no reliable and safe anti-viral medication. So I said to myself: if in all these years they couldn't find a remedy for something as simple as the flu, then maybe the remedy isn’t some magic pill? GOOD BACTERIA GONE BAD While sifting through medical literature, I learned a lot about bacteria. I learned that one of the most dangerous bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, can cause a very serious skin infection. But why does it damage skin? Because it lives there. Another bad bug, Hemophilus influenza, can cause serious sinus infection. Why? Because it lives there. It’s strange that bacteria can cause serious infection where they live--but not anywhere else. In truth, bacteria should not be a threat where they live, since they are natural inhabitants. Or, on the other hand, if they are dangerous bugs, maybe they shouldn't be natural inhabitants of the human body. Something was very wrong there. Unless it was not really a bug that caused the problem... Usually we blame the bug, but could it be something else? Could it be us, who are to blame? Maybe it’s our immune systems that are the problem, not the bugs! In fact this theory isn’t new. When bacteria were first discovered, there were two points of view: bugs are to blame, and our own defense is the guilty party. The first opinion won—when you’re sick, blame the bacteria. And that's what I was taught in medical school. But is it true? Blaming viruses for my problem didn't work. So I decided to blame myself, especially my immune system. A SYSTEM FOR STAYING HEALTHY Rather than going for the flu prevention medicine, I started looking for ways to improve my immune system. And I learned that to strengthen my immune system and improve my ability to cope with stress, I needed to do two things: 1. Give my body everything it needs for my immune system to work properly. 2. Get rid of toxins and unnecessary stress. So I detoxified myself, did everything possible to reduce my stress level, and normalized my sleeping pattern. I started taking vitamins and micro-elements. I've worked very hard to reduce the stress from processed food and to normalize my bacterial gut flora. It took me a few years to do it. But eventually I achieved what I wanted to: I have not gotten sick with the flu for years. Occasionally I have a very mild runny nose but that's it--no major problem. HOW TO STAY HEALTHIER THIS FLU SEASON Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D. Taking the right level is key. Get enough vitamin C, but before taking it you should be checked to see if you have a G 6 PD deficiency (the most common human enzyme deficiency). If you don’t have enough of this enzyme, you shouldn’t take vitamin C. Get enough sleep--at least 8 hours. Keep in mind that getting sleep at inappropriate time doesn’t make any sense. If you want real sleep, you should get to bed at about 9 PM (no late-night talk shows!) and get up at about 6 AM. Otherwise it's not quality sleep. Get rid of unnecessary stress. Review your daily activities, and eliminate anything that is not really necessary. (No, you don’t have to check your email every 5 minutes!) Take care with your diet. Stay away from processed food and carbs. Stick with a Paleolithic diet. Eat garlic, but not too much of it. For my patients, I usually do not recommend more than one clove a day. If you are allergic or sensitive to garlic, do not take it. Avoid crowded places, especially doctors’ offices and hospitals. Wash your hands often and use a mask if necessary. Do not make any health decisions unless approved by your doctor. Good luck!

My daughter is a 19-year-old, healthy, athletic sophomore at a prominent Pennsylvania university nursing school. She was "forced" to have the flu vaccine (i.e. no vaccine, no clinical work!), and within days was suffering from chest pain, shortness of breath, headache, and a cough. After we discerned these were reactions to the vaccine, I told her to report to the school health center. She was persuaded to believe her pain was a simple musculoskeletal response to a rigorous workout...that the reactions had nothing to do with the flu vaccine. We know better. She immediately reported the reactions to the VAERS.