For the past three years I have skipped the influenza vaccine and have noticed progressively fewer viral upper respiratory tract illnesses or common colds.
In decades prior I had taken forty flu shots as requirements in medical school, residency, fellowship, and medical staff. Could the flu shot weaken or misdirect the immune system on a regular basis?
In 2012, Cowling et al performed a prospective, double-blind randomized placebo controlled trial in children ages 6-15 years [... ] who received either the 2008–2009 seasonal trivalent influenza inactivated vaccine (TIV; 0.5 mL Vaxigrip; Sanofi Pasteur) or [a] placebo.