By Dr. Joseph Mercola

All the turmoil being generated by the media and governmental agencies like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over the flu vaccine and its "shortage" has me concerned. With this overreaction to the shortage of this "cure" that can actually be harmful to you, I am worried that many otherwise reasonable people mays believe the hype and feel even more of a need to take the flu vaccine.

It all got started when the FDA first announced that 4 million of the approximately 48 million flu vaccines produced for the United States by UK-based Chiron's manufacturing plant in Liverpool had been tainted.

Very quickly, that 4 million turned into all 48 million vaccines on Oct. 5. Soon all the talk of rationing flu vaccines and advisories from governmental agencies urging only those in great need to get a flu vaccine -- seniors and young children the "experts" say are most vulnerable -- whipped the public into a needless panic.

The "feeding frenzy" kicked into high gear a week ago, with a number of well-publicized "reactions" to the flu vaccine.

• A number of states and the nation's capital have threatened doctors and nurses with fines or even jail time if they give flu vaccines to healthy people.

• In probably the most notorious spectacle of panic, one elderly woman died after standing in line for a flu shot at a grocery store in northern California for FIVE HOURS! With nowhere to sit, the 79-year-old woman fell as she walked to find shade, hitting her head on the pavement and later died.

• The town of Bloomfield, N.J., will hold a lottery to find out who will receive one of the city's estimated 300 flu vaccines.

• In some cases, physicians are even taking verbal threats from patients. One particularly incensed patient blamed a Nebraska doctor for not be able to get a flu shot, and hoped she'd be happy "when I get sick and die because it will be your fault."

• In one case, patients weren't the only ones who were irate. Some 600 doses of vaccine were stolen from a pediatrician's office in Aurora, Colo.

• Subsequent price-gouging in Kansas has lifted the price of a 10-dose vial from $80 to $600.

Much of the credit or blame, in this case, goes to a broken health care paradigm that has so thoroughly brainwashed governmental officials who urge their constituents to do what the "experts" -- in this case CDC and FDA -- advise blindly and without thinking. The existing paradigm has called for everyone to get a flu shot -- whether they really need it or not -- to stay healthy. Now, all those "experts" are singing a different tune, and people are having a harder time understanding the sudden change in direction.

And who could blame them?

I can think of very few more insane events than having parents and children wait in long lines at shopping malls, supermarkets, hospitals and clinics to get a flu vaccination, worrying that the supply might run out before they step up to get the shot. As an expert with two decades worth of experience under my belt, trust me, healthy people don't need a flu shot. In fact, almost no person, old or young, needs one!

So what can you do to avoid catching the flu? The steps you need to take are much easier than you'd think, and far safer than taking any vaccine full of toxins, like mercury, aluminum and phenol.

Here are three of the most important steps to get you started:

1. Focus NOW on eating properly by learning your personal metabolic type so you'll know the best amount of fats, carbs and protein for your particular biochemistry, and learn the best types of foods from all the food greats you should be eating in proportions that are right for you.

   There is no more effective strategy than eating the proper foods in the right proportions for your body to optimize your immune system. An optimized immune system means your body can easily ward off small threats like the flu (and other "common" illnesses), while also warding off very serious diseases like cancer and stroke. I strongly urge you to learn your metabolic type and all the right foods you should be eating by reading my bestselling Total Health book, which provides everything you need to know in this area (and is now available for a limited-time special offer and full money-back guarantee).

2. Increase your intake of omega-3s with DHA and EPAs found in fish oil. Most Westerners are dangerously deficient in this essential fat, and this deficiency leads to a compromised immune system.

3. Practice good hygiene by washing your hands and the rest of your body properly. (Avoid all antibacterial soaps as they are completely unnecessary and could do you and your family more harm than good in the long run.)

Start practicing the three steps above and you will experience a significantly increased defense against the flu (and other illnesses and diseases) in a very short time. Keep practicing the steps and your worries about the flu -- and all the hype surrounding it including the vaccine issues -- will be a thing of the past.

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