The COVID vaccine: Here’s what I recommend

By now, you’re no doubt aware that COVID-19 vaccination efforts are already well underway. As a result, I’ve been inundated with questions from patients and readers alike about whether to get vaccinated and what to expect. 

So allow me to tackle some of those questions here today...  

My thoughts on the COVID vaccine 

As you know, thoughts and opinions about vaccination can vary widely among health professionals and the public. But I do believe it is a critical step in moving beyond this pandemic successfully.  

So, unless you have a known allergy to any of the vaccine ingredients OR have experienced severe allergic reactions from vaccinations before, I urge you to get vaccinated when you are able to do so. (Of course, you should always consult with your  healthcare provider if you have any specific questions or concerns.) 

Just remember, vaccines should be treated like any other medical procedure. Meaning proper preparation can make all the difference… 

Prepare for your appointment 

Previous research conducted on other types of vaccines has shown that stress, depression, lack of social support, and lack of sleep can impair the immune system’s response to vaccination. (Along with the usual stumbling blocks like lack of exercise, poor dietary habits and smoking.) Now, granted, there’s no research on whether these factors have any impact on the coronavirus vaccine specifically. But considering they do affect the body’s immune response to vaccination in a general sense, they’re well worth considering. 

Especially since the pandemic is definitely making these risk factors worse for a lot of people. So it’s especially important now to do whatever you can to offset these risk factors and, in turn, maximize your body’s immune response prior to getting the coronavirus vaccine.  

In fact, research suggests getting vigorous exercise and a good night’s sleep 24 hours prior to your vaccination appointment, so that your immune system is operating at peak efficiency—and so you get the best and strongest immune response as quickly as possible.  

In addition, I typically recommend that anytime one of my patients gets a vaccine, they come in for intravenous (IV) glutathione treatments (a critical antioxidant that offers natural protection against oxidative stress and free radical damage), both before and after the inoculation, as a way to support liver health and detoxification.  

(After all, the adjuvants, or other ingredients that make up vaccines, are usually the ingredients that cause side effects—not the actual viral elements of the vaccine. So detoxing after vaccination can sometimes prove beneficial in terms of lessening any potential side effects.)  

But if an IV is out of the question, I usually advise the following supplements to be taken daily for the three days before and after vaccination: 

• 1,500 mg of N-acetyl cysteine per day, to stimulate the body’s own production of glutathione. (This amino acid is a precursor to glutathione.) 
• 60 mg of lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 per day, also to help promote glutathione production. 
• 500 mg of BRM-4 per day, as an immune-modulating supplement. (This product is also known as Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Concentrate [RBAC].) 
• A high-quality probiotic that contains prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. (Remember, the key is diversity of strains, rather than quantity.)  

So, now that we’ve covered how to properly prep for vaccination, let’s take a look at what should you do after you’ve been vaccinated… 

Proper aftercare is key 

Like all vaccinations, there’s a possibility of experiencing side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, too. Fortunately, according to many key websites, most notably the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s, these side effects are likely to be mild and short–lived. 

Some of the most common side effects reported so far include having a painful, heavy feeling and tenderness in the arm where you had your injection, feeling tired, experiencing headaches, and general aches or mild flu-like symptoms. 

As I mentioned above, using a glutathione-based detox regimen (either via IV or supplements) before and after vaccination may help offset or even eliminate potential side effects from many vaccines. But if you do experience any of the above symptoms, don’t be afraid to just take some time for yourself. Relax, rejuvenate, and resume your normal activities when you’re feeling more like yourself.  

But if you’re feeling okay—you should be able to resume your daily routine after being vaccinated. (Though if you’re feeling pain in your arm, for example, you should probably wait until it passes to do any heavy lifting.) 

Stay vigilant  

In the end, the biggest question that remains is whether or not we still have to social distance after getting the shot.   

Scientists are saying that even after your first round of the vaccination, you should still avoid close contact (like hugging) with your relatives and anyone outside of your household. 

You also have to bear in mind that you aren’t immediately protected after being vaccinated. It can take several weeks—and according to the vaccine makers, as long as one full month after the second shot—until your body builds maximum immunity. Which means you simply cannot afford to let your guard down. 

Plus, while the evidence shows that a full course of the vaccine will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, we still don’t really know whether being vaccinated will actually prevent you from catching the virus, and then passing it on to others. (However, the musings I’m hearing in scientific circles are that the vaccination is expected to reduce this risk as well.) 

Of course, it goes without saying that it’s important to get both doses of the same vaccine in order to receive the best protection.  

And while there are still a lot of unknowns and a lot of evidence we just don’t have yet, rest assured, we are learning more every day. So stay tuned, as I’ll continue addressing the science as it’s released right here in my Reality Health Check and in my monthly Logical Health Alternatives newsletter.  

And be sure to tune back in tomorrow—where I’ll continue the discussion on how to get the best results from this groundbreaking vaccine.