This year the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that babies, toddlers, their household contacts, out-of-home caretakers, and every healthy American over age 50, get a flu shot. This is in addition to the usual list of seniors over age 65, as well as those whose immune systems make them vulnerable to flu complications, such as cancer patients and pregnant women. This list includes just about everyone.

While nobody knows exactly which influenza virus types will predominate or how severe the flu season will be each year, the vaccine manufacturers do their best to guess which three viral strains will predominate each year. When the match between the virus strains in the vaccine and the circulating viruses is close, the vaccine prevents illness in up to 90% of healthy people under the age of 65. However, among the elderly, the vaccine is only about 30-70% effective.

Flu Shot side effects include, fever, chills, or a general sense of malaise, that lasts one to two days and will occur in about 1% of the population, or about 1 million Americans. For as many as 1,000 others, serious adverse reactions will occur that could be life threatening.

What Does Dr. Hansen recommend?
First and foremost, Dr. Hansen recommends getting 8-9 hours of sleep nightly, drinking plenty of purified water and avoiding sugar. A mere 100 grams of common table sugar can suppress the immune system by 50% and last for 5 hours. That much sugar is easily consumed by eating a candy bar and a soda. Choose healthy alternatives to white sugar and white flour products to keep your immune system healthy.

Secondly, I recommend that everyone take the homeopathic flu vaccine, known as Influenzinum,™ instead of a Flu shot. Influenzinum™ is an oral homeopathic remedy prepared according to the standards of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, containing the same 3 viral strains as the conventional vaccine. However, the homeopathic vaccine dilutes these viral strains to 1 part per billion. This homeopathic method of preparing the vaccine greatly reduces the risk of side effects.

Natural Homeopathic Alternative to the Flu Shot

Influenzinum™ has been shown to be up to 90% effective and safe for all ages. In clinical trials, no side effects were noted in 97% of the cases, while 3% experienced only minor nasal discharge. It has been used throughout the world by millions for decades.

The homeopathic vaccine is an oral medication that easily dissolves in the mouth. The recommended dose is 3 small granules dissolved under the tongue once per week for 4 weeks, followed by one last dose of 3 granules dissolved under the tongue 4 weeks later.

Flu Solution for Variant Strains of the Flu
For the treatment of the Flu due to viral strains not contained in the Flu Vaccine, Dr. Hansen recommends taking Oscillococcinum™, a homeopathic medicine developed in France more than 60 years ago. Oscillococcinum is the number one over-the-counter flu medication in France.

Keep Oscillococcinum™ on hand
At the first sign of flu symptoms take Oscillococcinum™: 20 tiny granules every 6 hours dissolved in the mouth. I have found this homeopathic flu remedy to be dramatically effective. When taken immediately at the onset of the flu symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches and general malaise, I have seen this remarkable remedy stop the flu dead in its tracks and return countless patients back to normal within a few hours. I have used it with great success for more than 20 years.

Keep Phytobiotic on hand too!

During the cold and flu season I recommend taking Phytobiotic, my herbal immune boosting formula, everyday during the months of December through February. I take 2 capsules once daily during the winter. For symptoms of colds, coughs, sore throats or the Flu, I recommend taking 3 Phytobiotic capsules 3 times daily for adults, or 2 capsules 3 times daily for children who can swallow pills. For children who cannot swallow pills, I give 3 ml of liquid Echinacea and Elderberry 3 times daily. (For more information about Phytobiotic, including its key ingredients: Echinacea and Elderberry, click here.