There is ample literature readily available recommending the influenza vaccine, but what happens when you brave the flu season without it? A study in the October issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing describes some indigenous health practices used to prevent and treat the most talked-about seasonal virus.
The study from 2007 involved a total of 208 older people from China, Indonesia, Turkey, Korea, Greece, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Nigeria. These individuals were divided into 14 vaccinated and 12 unvaccinated focus groups where they shared their experiences of influenza and influenza vaccination. The researchers concluded that behavioral beliefs generally determined vaccine preferences. Likelihood of susceptibility to influenza and severity of symptoms also weighed heavily on decision making, as did vaccine effectiveness and health care costs. … Read more →