Can you fight flu with alternative methods?

Families skip vaccine, choose alternative methods to stay flu-free

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – In the midst of a wicked flu season, some families are skipping the vaccine and choosing alternative methods to stay flu-free.

Andrea Layne treats her 6-year-old son Andrew and 3-year-old daughter Adriana with vitamins to prevent them from getting sick.

"We take probiotics. We do Omega. We do Vitamin C. We also do Vitamin D3," she said.

Layne decided to give her children supplements and organic foods and embrace a more holistic lifestyle after her daughter continuously battled ear infections as an infant.

"I would go to the doctor like every parent would and get the antibiotic because I would freak out and say, 'Infection? I got to get this infection out,'" said Layne. "I was desperate."

And this flu season, instead of getting her children flu shots, Layne got them adjusted.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 14 percent of chiropractic patients are under the age of 18.

"The potential to heal is already inside your body already," said chiropractor Edward Cambas. "You don't need to go and get a potion or lotion to heal. The body wants to heal itself."

While Cambas said he's seen an increase of adults and children coming to his office in the last few weeks, he said he's not curing the flu.

"They're not coming to get the sniffles treated. They're not coming to get the cough treated. They're not coming to get the flu treated. What they're coming to do is to improve the function of their body," he said. "That body's now able to have a better environment where it can start to heal itself faster," he said.

Dr. Ari Soffer recognizes the benefits of chiropractic care, but believes getting a flu shot is a better option.

"Even if you get it, you'll feel it less if you've had the flu shot in many cases," said Soffer.

Layne said she's okay with treating her children in an outside the box sort of way.

"We just, as parents, need to let their bodies to the work," she said.