There are no guarantees in life yet many people expect them from our medical system. Take flu prevention, for example. Some people assume they are safe from the flu virus if they get the shot and are outraged when they get sick anyway. According to the experts, it’s your best bet for preventing influenza. Maybe so, but it’s important to understand that the vaccine does not prevent infection, our immune systems do. In order for the flu shot to be effective, our immune systems have to be healthy enough to respond to the challenge.

It’s a wonder that a gamer hasn’t cashed in on the spell-binding drama provided by immune system function. Coordinated by neural activity, our various immune responses can be whimsically, though not scientifically compared to the activities of national defense and intelligence agencies. Like them, the immune system is primarily interested in prevention and preemptive strikes and is equipped with an awe-inspiring arsenal to support its mission statement.

Consider the human body to be the ‘homeland’ such that skin and mucus membranes represent our structural defenses (castle walls and moats). Once the flu  virus penetrates these defenses, like our brave Canadian soldiers, our immune cells are prepared to fight to the death in defense of their country. The guards at the gates are the phagocytes – cells that summarily neutralize invaders by eating them – no jury trials here, baby!

The guards also sound the alarm by releasing a chemical messenger (Interleukin 1) that alerts and activates covert ops (T-cells). These twitchy guys rush to consult with the guards who present them with choice protein bits (antigens) of the invader that can be analyzed for the purposes of mounting an effective defense. In turn, covert ops recruit large numbers of undercover cops (B-cells) and arm them with hundreds of arrest warrants (antibodies) for the invaders. These forces however, do not take any prisoners. The warrants are slapped on the coats of the invaders as targets for the special forces dudes (circulating killer cells). In case the invader’s kin decides to drop in at a future date, the cops also archive the ‘arrest warrant’ in specialized memory cells.

This is how the flu shot works. It presents a non-infective ‘arrest warrant’ (dead virus) to our immune cells to analyze, respond to and ‘remember’ when they encounter the real bad guys in the future. This early warning system shortens the time required for recognition of the living virus and mobilization of defenses against it.  In such a scenario, your sick roommate can sneeze all over you but you are equipped with a smart bomb that derails the invasion before it gets started, if your immune system is healthy to begin with.

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees offered by any ethical expert that if you get the shot you will not get the flu. It’s just not that simple but experts believe that you can reduce your chances by about 50% if you get the vaccine. Perhaps more importantly, if you are in regular contact with frail elderly or immune compromised loved ones, your healthy immune system’s response to the shot may prevent them from catching it from you and perhaps dying of complications. These are worthy considerations in the flu shot decision-making process.

The alternative to the shot is to take steps to ensure that your immune system is healthy. One way to do this is to take immune boosting herbal tonics during flu season, get plenty of rest, eat healthy food, exercise, wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your face and refrain from sharing your water bottle. My previous blog, ‘Pure Water Has No Fish’ outlines some of the immune boosting herbs that provide excellent protective effects.

Another strategy that may appeal to you is to use immune boosting herbs in the weeks before you get your flu shot to ensure that your immune system is functioning optimally before it is challenged by the vaccine.

On the flip side, while getting the vaccine may reduce risk of influenza infection for you and your loved ones, no ethical provider will guarantee you that vaccines are without risks and side effects. Check back next month for a discussion of the associated risks of flu vaccinations.