I am not one for gambling, so this year why do I feel like I am playing against the odds because we have not gotten vaccinated against either the seasonal flu or H1N1? Why do I knock on wood every time I repeat, "No, we are not getting the flu vaccine?" Since the summer, the vaccines—or lack of them—have made headlines all over the country.

I have never once gotten a flu vaccine. Neither has anyone in my immediate family. We've never gotten the flu, and before this year, I never thought twice about not getting the vaccine. It's not as though I even made a conscious decision against getting the vaccine. My kids all have spring birthdays and their well-visits are late spring/early summer, where we discuss bicycle helmets, bug spray and sunscreen—not the flu.

We all make the choice we feel that is right for our situations. With a pregnant sister, a pregnant sister-in-law, and a handful of young nephews and nieces, for the first time I actually did consider getting us vaccinated, but ultimately decided against it.

So, how do we intend to stay healthy? Will we be able to stay healthy?

In our house, we have been washing hands diligently, drinking lots of tea and water, eating yogurt, fruits and veggies and using essential oils that are known for being anti-bacterial and antiseptic. At the first sign of a cold or scratchy throat, I break out the Thieves®, Peppermint and Eucalyptus oils (among others) and vaporize them, have the kids inhale them, or I rub it on chests and behind ears or on the soles of their feet before bed. (When I work I keep a bottle of Thieves® in my pocket and have been known to put a drop on my tongue throughout the day!) A steamy shower with some of these oils on a washcloth helps break up chest congestion and helps us breathe a little easier. We also keep some natural anti-bacterial hand gel we made (see recipe below) in the car and in our bags and backpacks. It's less harsh on our sensitive skin, but seems to be just as effective. If one of us starts to feel run down, I break out a multi-vitamin and some Echinacea too, and encourage going to bed early or taking a long nap. Knock on wood, so far, so good!

Stacie Levy, a Maplewood mom and realtor at Coldwell Banker, read an interesting article about a study that said kids who were given probiotics daily were significantly less likely to get colds and flu. From naturalnews.com: a study published in Postgraduate Medicine has good news about a way to help fight a potential flu pandemic naturally. Researchers found that a specific strain of probiotics, which are beneficial microorganisms similar to the "friendly" bacteria found naturally in the body's digestive system, increases the body's immune response to the flu virus—specifically, to influenza A. And the currently much hyped and much feared so-called swine flu, also known as H1N1, is a variant of influenza A." Since I asked Stacie about this in November, she is happy to report that her family has stayed flu-free and in good health.

Whether you decided to get the flu vaccines or not, I hope you and your family are spared from the flu this season. As our school nurses always say, hand washing is the first line of defense against spreading germs. Perhaps you can add some of the other suggestions mentioned in this article to your winter-germ fighting repertoire.

Easy Essential Oil Hand Sanitizer: adapted from http://www.thewholechild.us/

• 5-10 drops of Thieves® Essential oil blend
• Put in a small dispenser bottle filled with water and 1 tsp aloe vera gel
• Use as you would any alcohol-based store bought hand sanitizer

Suzanne Hassler is a wife, mom, interior design consultant, and independent distributor of Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential oils, Member # 1109967.
If you would like more information on using therapeutic grade essential oils throughout your home, please contact Suzanne at suzhassler@optonline.net.

For another take, read Patch's interview with NJ State Department of Health Susan Walsh who strongly recommends H1N1 vaccination.