The perennial question I am always asked here: should I have the flu jab? Of course, now that also applies to the Covid vaccine. As the booster texts are rolling out now, some of you are asking should you have it, or not?
It’s always a tricky one to answer, not least because it is a personal choice. Plus, it all depends on your current state of health and your individual vulnerability.
Two articles crossed my inbox this week that might help you decide. The first is a ultimately a plea from the medics for people to get the Covid booster – although check out the comments from the professionals here and you can see there is still much debate!
Is Another COVID-19 Booster Really Needed?
The author concludes:
Vaccinate the elderly (and some middle-aged too, if possible) and the frail as soon as possible with any version of the booster you have available, if you want to keep hospital pressure to the minimum and save a fair number of complications and deaths over the next months. This regimen of yearly boosters for some may be the scenario for the upcoming years, similar to what we already do for the flu, so we should get used to it.
The second is from the always well-informed and reasonable Patrick Holford on the flu jab:
Essentially, I tend to agree partly with both. Helpful, I know! I think it really does come down to how healthy you are and, as Patrick says, that is largely down to your levels of Vitamin D and Vitamin C immune-wise. The flu vaccine effectiveness is reported as 44% last year. As Patrick explains, we can get that level simply ensuring our vitamin levels are high enough.
More than a third of health care workers do not have the flu jab. I’m in that category largely because I know that high dose vitamin C at the immediate onset of cold or flu symptoms, reduces duration and severity of flu symptoms often to 24 max 48 hours. A comprehensive review of vitamin C shows up to 46% reduction in duration of colds, and also reduction in severity, reported in those taking 8 grams of vitamin C in the first day of a cold/flu, although there is some evidence than 15-20 grams within 24 hours of first symptoms would be more effective [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409678/]. This is what I do, and recommend, taking around 1 gram an hour, or 2 grams every two hours.
If your vitamin C also has zinc and black elderberry, like Immune C, it is likely to be even more effective. I very much doubt flu would ever be fatal if all ‘at risk’ eg elderly people did this on first signs of symptoms.
The other critical factor is getting your blood vitamin D up above 100nmol/l by taking 3,000iu a day. [I’ve added a 4000iu product here for you as I’ve found that most people need more than that, Ed]. The Grassroots Health study reports a 43% reduction in flu-like illness between those with blood vitamin D levels of 50 versus 150nmol/l. That’s about the same level of effectiveness of a vaccine.
Patrick Holford
However, I also agree with this statement:
But I entirely respect someone who chooses to, perhaps because they are older, more vulnerable, with more compromised immune systems or/and don’t trust or don’t know about vitamin C and how to use it in high doses or don’t know about vitamin D and has a low level.
That’s a lot of people. We need an education campaign (hence me writing this!).
As for the Covid vaccine, we know that the virus will continue to evolve, much the same as the flu virus does, which is why we have updated vaccines every year. The argument is very much about protecting others, of course, and I think vulnerable and older people should definitely consider it, at least for the time being whilst we are still learning about this new infection. It generally is quite effective at reducing the severity of the illness so that has to be good for vulnerable people. We must not ignore the risk of Long Covid either, which I am coming across quite a lot. It is debilitating, and not just for older people.
It really is a choice and a decision for each individual. Personally, I have never had the flu jab, preferring to keep my immunity strong in other ways and I don’t class myself as high risk. With Covid, I shall probably have the booster for a while until I feel comfortable I can offset it. So far, I can’t tolerate supplements so that’s my individual need. If I could, I’d be going the Vitamin D, Vitamin C route to up my body’s own protection. See my free Covid factsheet for more suggestions on this.
What do you think? Are you going to have them/not have them? Why? I’m interested to see how others think (but no conspiracy theories, please!).
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