The new flu vaccine is now available.  Many people are taking this flu shot for protection against the seasonal flu and the swine flu.  You can get the flu shot as an injection or as a seasonal mist.

A homeopathic version of the flu vaccine is called influenzium.  This is a diluted version of the flu vaccine for the year 2010.  This homeopathic medicine can be found in varying potencies from 6C to 200C. 

How effective will this vaccine be?  This is a difficult question to answer.  The flu vaccine does not offer 100% protection against the flu.  Flu vaccine are based on a matching system.  If the flu vaccine is a close match, the vaccine is quite effective in preventing the flu.  However, many vaccines from previous years are not good matches in flu prevention.  The flu vaccine in 2010 has made a match with the southern hemisphere and tropical area flu viruses.  The flu virus really has not hit the US so it is difficult to figure out whether the vaccine will be effective against flu prevention. 

The flu vaccine should not be taken by everybody.  People allergic to eggs, people who have had adverse side effects from the flu shot in the past and people that already have gotten the flu.    There are side effects to the flu vaccine such as soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, fever and aches and pain.  

The flu vaccine is recommended by the CDC to everyone over 6 months of age.  Health care workers, children between 2 to 5 years of age, nursing home workers, older adults above age 50 and people with chronic illness such as diabetes. 

Should everyone get the flu vaccine even though there is no guarantee that it will work?  I look forward to your comments.

  The flu vaccine is produced every year form the US.  This flu vaccine is commonly know as influenza vaccine.  Influenza vaccine contains a small amount of flu virus which helps your body produce antibodies to help fight off the flu.  So how well does the vaccine work?  That really depends on a close a match the influenza is to the current strains of flu in the year.  Years where the vaccine has had a close match the vaccine is quite effective.  Studies show around 70 to 90% effective.  Some other years the match was not close and the vaccines were not very effective.  The influenza shot has to be taken every year because the flu strain changes every year.

  The groups that are recommended to take the flu vaccine are people generally in closed environments where the flu can spread rapidly through out the facility.  Places such as nursing homes and jails are places where influenza shots should be given.  Elderly adults of age 65+ and adults with weakend immune systems benefits the most form the vaccine since their own immune system is not as strong. Caregivers of nursing homes, hospitals and jails should also get the flu shot.  Younger adults with healthy immune systems have really no medical need of taking the influenza vaccine.

   Children under 6 months are too young to be given a flu shot.  Flu shots from young children have shown questionable benefits.  Most children have a strong immune system so they should be able to fight off the flu themselves. Caregivers to new born infants should take the flu shot to help prevent the flu reaching new borns.

Side effects from the flu vaccine are generally not too severe.  Side effects include redness, soreness, aches and possibly a minor fever.  On rare occasion, a person may be allergic to the flu vaccine.  In these cases, the person must be taken to the hospital immediately for treatment.

  Homeopathic influenzium is basically the influenza vaccine in a diluted form.  Just like the vaccine, this homeopathic medicine should be bought every year.  Classical homeopaths sometimes recommend this medicine to fight or prevent the flu.  However, since classical homeopathy is individualized not all homeopaths will recommend this type of remedy based on their condition.  Homeopathic doctors may recommend other single remedies to help fight the flu.  No clinical trials are available on homeopathic influenzium on whether it can prevent the flu or if it may shorten the duration of the flu.  The pills should be taken regularly throughout the flu season to help prevent or lessen the flu.

 Please enter your comments on who should take the flu vaccine.  Is the flu vaccine given to too many people who really do not need it?  Is the homeopathic infiuenzium a good substitute for the flu shot?  What potencies of influenzium are generally good to prevent or lessen the flu?