GOSHEN — A high fever, paired with aches, chills, a cough, a runny nose, and possibly nausea — all symptoms of influenza, commonly known as the flu.

And now, as the leaves change and fall and winter get closer and closer, so does “flu season,” the time of year when many come down with the illness. Flu vaccine clinics will be popping up at local stores and pharmacies — but is it the vaccine effective? Is it worth it?

According to Elkhart County Health Officer Dan Nafziger, the flu vaccine is a valuable tool for battling the spread of the virus.

“We recommend that people follow the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines,” Nafziger said. “They say that anyone over six months of age should get it, especially those at risk.”

The flu vaccine changes every year, according to Nafziger. It is composed of strains of the virus that the CDC thinks will be the most prevalent. In this year’s vaccine, a strain of H1N1, also known as “swine flu,” will be present, as well as two others.

“With H1N1, it was a virus that affected a lot of younger folks,” Nafziger said. “Last year, we also had one flu-related death in Elkhart County. Even though people think they don’t get sick, we strongly recommend they get a flu shot.”

Different strains of the flu can be deadly, according to the CDC. While officials cannot pinpoint an annual death rate, the CDC estimates that anywhere between 3,000 to 49,000 people have died yearly from flu-related causes between 1976 and 1999.

The large discrepancy comes from the fact that not every flu season is severe; however, some strains of the flu are known to cause higher mortality rates than others.

According to the CDC, about 90 percent of flu-related deaths each season occur in people 65 years old or older.

If people have the opportunity, they should also check to see if they need boosters for their tetanus and pertussis vaccines, Nafziger said. It’s one vaccine that protects against both viruses.

“You should ask your doctor if you’re up to date,” Nafziger said. “We’ve seen a growing number of cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. You may not catch it, but you getting the vaccine may save the life of someone who can’t get the vaccine. It helps protect your family and friends that may be vulnerable.”

However, some families, including those in the greater Goshen community, choose not to vaccinate, citing danger from vaccinations, little effectiveness of vaccines and other ways to prevent illness as reasons to not get shots.

A different approach to wellness

Elkhart chiropractor Mark Lindholm said he doesn’t encourage his patients to get vaccines — in fact, he thinks they’re not necessary for a “natural approach to health.”

“I always encourage patients to exhaust other resources (before they get vaccinations),” he said. “(If they asked me for advice) I would forward them to other literature and studies.”

Lindholm has taught a workshop on how to prevent and treat the flu without getting vaccinated several times. He recommends people take good precautions to stop from getting sick.

“People underestimate that the body is designed to be healthy,” he said. “People need to get enough sleep and watch their vitamin levels — I recommend they take multiple vitamins, especially a vitamin D supplement.”

Lindholm also encourages good handwashing practices and regular chiropractic adjustments, which he said work with the nervous system to keep the body in good order.

“These recommendations can be proactive or used as a treatment,” he said. “But the other thing is that all of those things have beneficial side effects for the body. If you get enough sleep, you will feel better. None of them have negative side effects.”

Vaccines, on the other hand, have risks and possible negative side effects, according to Lindholm, who cited several studies of vaccine recipients and observations.

“Vaccines come with a number of risks. They give patients a false sense of protection — people don’t take care of themselves because they don’t think they will get sick if they get vaccinated,” he said. “But they really have no protective effect. The immunity is more than just building antibodies (which is the primary function of a vaccine). There’s a lot more to it than that. Even if (a vaccine) does give antibodies, it doesn’t give immunity like what occurs naturally if someone gets sick.”

As of July 2012, more than 84,000 reports of reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths in relation to the flu vaccine have been made to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, according to the National Vaccine Information Center, a independent resource on vaccine information.

Lindholm also said vaccines contain preservatives, some linked to dangerous side effects that don’t happen often but carry some disastrous consequences.

Thimerosal, a mecury-based preservative used in multi-dose vials for “decades,” according to the CDC, is not something that should be present in a vaccine, according to Lindholm.

“They have not removed the preservative,” he said. “Mercury is toxic to the nervous system.”

Lindholm said this preservative, as well as the vaccine in general, is possibly linked to the development of conditions such as autism, ADHD and dementia.

The CDC denies the link between thimerosal and autism on its website.

“Numerous studies have found no association between thimerosal exposure and autism. CDC places a high priority on vaccine safety, surveillance, and research,” the organization states. “CDC is aware that the presence of the preservative thimerosal in vaccines and allegations of a relationship to autism have raised public concerns. These concerns have made decisions surrounding vaccinations confusing and difficult for some people.”

Since 2001, no new vaccine licensed for use in children has contained thimerosal as a preservative, according to the CDC. The only vaccine for children containing thimerosal is the flu vaccine, according to the website.

Hospitals requiring vaccines

Nafziger said he believes all local hospitals will require their employees to be vaccinated.

“Hospitals in particular are taking the goal of preventing the flu,” he said.

Elkhart General Hospital now requires employees to receive the flu vaccine as a “condition of employment,” according to EGH employee health coordinator Deb Eriksen.

“We are looking at safety issues,” Eriksen said. “We believe it’s prudent as a care facility to protect our employees from the flu, as well as our patients.”

The condition is new this year, Eriksen said. Other vaccines are also part of the condition of employment, including the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and the chicken pox vaccine, for those who have never had the illness and are not immune.

“Several local hospitals got together to decide what they were going to do,” Eriksen said.

Employees can apply for exemptions to the vaccines if they are currently ill or are allergic to eggs, which are an ingredient in the flu vaccine. While at least one other local area hospital does also allow for religious exemptions, Eriksen said EGH had not had anyone ask for an exemption on a religious basis yet.

Employees must be vaccinated by Dec. 15, she said.

IU Health Goshen Hospital chief health officer Dr. Larry Allen said they will also require staff members and physicians to get flu vaccines, calling it a “mandate” and a “condition of employment.”

While this isn’t a new requirement, Allen said stricter rules and tighter restrictions are now implemented.

“The exemptions are tighter this year,” Allen said. “There are only exemptions for those who are allergic or have religious reasons. This year, it feels like it’s a patient safety and life-saving issue.”

Other hospitals within the statewide IU Health system will also be implementing these same requirements, Allen said.

“It’s definitely a trend,” he said. “I think you’re going to start seeing more hospitals than not requiring the vaccine.”

Want to know more?

Resources are available for more information on the flu. Visit www.flu.gov for more information on symptoms, vaccinations and treatments for the flu. For more information on vaccines in general, including information on the risks and benefits associated with vaccines, visit the National Vaccine Information Center at www.nvic.org.