On The Beat 9/02/20 - Robert's Apothecary

Today on On The Beat, Robert White from Robert's Apothecary talks to us about flu vaccines.

Midday slate troy thompson: welcome to on the beat, everyone.

I'm troy thompson.

Joining me in the studio today is robert white from robert's apothecary.

And today we're talking all about a topic we talk about every single year and we're talking about flu vaccines.

Welcome to the show, my friend.

Nice to be in the studio with you.

Robert white: it is good to see you again too, troy.

Troy thompson: six feet apart, we're feeling healthy.

Robert white: two meters.

Troy thompson: and it's actually a great time to discuss flu vaccines, especially with this whole covid situation.

Because as we know, they mimic the same symptoms, don't they?

Robert white: they have very similar symptoms. troy thompson: and i was just telling you just recently that i was not well, hence why i hadn't been to columbus.

And i thought i had the symptoms of the coronavirus and i didn't.

I ended up just having an ear infection and strep throat, but i can honestly now say those symptoms also felt like the flu.

Now, with a flu vaccine, i want to discuss with you, has anything changed since last year?

Are there different strands of flu that we need to be concerned about?

Robert white: well, there's always several new strains and each year will be a different mix.

Usually there'll be four different strains that have started in the far east, as in china, south korea, vietnam, australia.

Troy thompson: what?

Australia?

Robert white: yes.

Troy thompson: don't you go throwing my homeland under the bus.

Robert white: there's the country right there, sends us those bad viruses this way.

Anyhow, there's a different mix each year.

Some will have some of the strains from last year, but will add a couple of new strains that they've been seeing.

Troy thompson: does that mean they changed the flu vaccine altogether?

Robert white: every year, not all together, but just they'll take away one or two strains from last year and add one or two new ones that were not in the mix.

Troy thompson: right.

Can you still, and i don't think i've asked you this before, unless it's just been put into the back of my brain somewhere.

If you have a flu injection or the vaccine i should say, can you still get a flu in the winter?

Robert white: sure you can.

Troy thompson: you can?

Robert white: the vaccine is not guaranteed.

It will give you protection for those four strains, there are other strains that many times will come along that people don't have protection for.

And that's why we see the vaccine efficacy, instead of running 66%, 67% normally, some years it's good in only 15% to 20% of the patients who get the vaccine.

Troy thompson: right.

What age would one start having the flu vaccine?

Robert white: one year.

Troy thompson: really?

That young?

Robert white: yeah.

Troy thompson: really.

And if people are opposed to flu vaccines, i know you believe in a lot of natural remedies as well, what would they be using at home if they just like, "look, we're not having the vaccine, but i will do this?"

Robert white: well, we do have immune boosting natural products like vitamin c for example and zinc and elderberry.

And for kids, we have elderberry gummies and that has good antiviral properties and helps with cold virus, flu virus, almost any kind of viral or bacterial pathogenic infection.

Troy thompson: right.

If someone is deciding to have the vaccine, that's all part of the insurance.

Because i noticed that you can go into some stores and they're free.

Robert white: many insurance will cover the vaccine and have a zero copay, so will be free.

Now we will be offering different flu vaccines, we'll have a pediatric one, we have one for over 65 age, we have regular flu vaccine, and then we have one that is mercury free and egg free.

There's some people that are highly sensitive to eggs so they can't get the flu vaccine, the regular flu vaccine.

Troy thompson: best time to have the flu vaccine, very quickly?

What month should we start?

Robert white: start in september.

Troy thompson: september.

All right.

Thank you, buddy.

We appreciate you as always.

Robert white: thank you.

Troy thompson: if you want to find out more information, there it all is up on the screen for you.

Back after this short break.