With the swine flu vaccination program now in place, you'll eventually have to decide whether or not you're going to get vaccinated. This is not something you want to do without informing yourself; it's important to hear all the arguments before you make your choice.

Swine Flu Vaccines to be Put on Fast Track.
The United States has committed to plans for full-scale vaccination program. The big problem, though, is that creating vaccines in a such a short period of time leaves no opportunity to test them thoroughly. On top of that, special legislation enacted recently means the pharmaceutical industry and all federal government employees and their agents (like your doctor, for example) are totally exempt from any liability for damage suffered from the vaccines unless they acted in willful negligence.

How Safe and Effective Will These Vaccines Be?
The FDA announced that a vaccine will be accepted if it creates antibodies in 4 out of 10 recipients (40%), with at least 70 percent of those 4 achieving an antibody level "believed to provide benefit."

This means that an acceptable vaccine would provide “protection” for 28% of vaccine recipients (70% of the 40%), or less than 3 in 10 recipients. The requirement drops to 18% efficacy for those over 65 years of age.

The proposed "safety trials" for the H1N1 vaccine will not be concluded until June, 2010, long after virtually every person in the US has been injected. The adjuvants, including squalene (see below), are not being tested in this trial, nor are subjects with numerous health conditions allowed in the trial. And there may be a very good reason why: liability.

Are These Vaccines Any Different from Other Flu Shots?
Many of these swine flu vaccines will contain a dangerous adjuvant, squalene, in addition to the other toxins that go into most vaccines: heavy metals such as mercury and aluminum, preservatives and emulsifiers, including formaldehyde. Adjuvants are substances added to vaccines to make them more “effective” and to reduce the amount of vaccine required per dose.

Squalene is proving to be among the most deadly of immune adjuvants. Victims of Gulf War Syndrome received anthrax vaccines which contained squalene, which was later found to be the primary cause of GWS.

All this begs the question: How Do You Know the Vaccines Will Be Safe?
The government has a very specific agenda, and that's to get as many people inoculated as possible. They can't say for sure if any vaccine is safe: vaccine safety studies are usually very short-term — a few weeks, typically. If symptoms take months or years to appear, how can you trace them back to their origin?

There have been other episodes of adverse reactions to flu shots in the past, not just swine flu. Vaccines are a prime suspect as a causative factor in neurological diseases such as autism and alzheimers. Although these connections are difficult, if not impossible to prove, there are enough case histories out there that you would be foolish to disregard the possibilities.

In Short, Don’t Assume Anything.
Just because the government is promoting swine flu vaccines is not a good reason to think that they must be safe — they won't really know. However, they're certainly going to downplay any risks, and do whatever is necessary to get as many people inoculated as possible. It's your job to stay informed and make an intelligent choice.

What Else Can You Do to Prevent Swine Flu?
If you're concerned about the swine flu, the safest strategy is to build up your natural immunity that your body needs to protect itself against infections. This includes a diet rich in immune-boosting antioxidants, supplementing with vitamin D, regular exercise and sleep.

Is Vitamin D the Real Answer to Swine Flu?
Numerous studies indicate that Vitamin D is perhaps the single most powerful nutrient for preventing influenza. Recent studies also show that well over half of the population has insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D in their blood. Yet no one in official circles is promoting the supplementation of vitamin D immediately, even in the face of a potentially devastating global pandemic. Nutritionists are now recommending a minimum of 1,000 to 2,000IU a day for general preventive health, even more if you're chronically deficient.

Author's Bio: 

Stan Mrak has had a passion for nutrition for more than 30 years, ever since he picked up a book by Richard Passwater and discovered the world of preventive health. He has investigated many aspects of nutrition over those years, and shares more of his knowledge from his website at http://www.antioxidants-for-health-and-longevity.com. Please visit and learn much more about antioxidants and easy ways to get more of them into your diet.