One of President Trump’s spiritual advisers said in a video posted Jan. 31 on YouTube and Facebook that nobody needs flu shots because Jesus already gave them to us.Gloria Copeland is co-founder with her husband of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, a far-right evangelical preaching organization based in Texas. Both Gloria and Kenneth Copeland have roles on Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board, which advises the president on spiritual matters.At a time when the nation is suffering under a deadly flu epidemic, Copeland is suggesting a faith-based approach to staying healthy.“Jesus himself gave us the flu shot,” she said in a video posted by Right Wing Watch. “If you say, ‘Well, I don’t have any symptoms of the flu,’ well, great! That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Just keep saying that ‘I’ll never have the flu. I’ll never have the flu.’ Put words — inoculate yourself with the word of God.”Copeland also insists that “we don’t have a flu season.” She implores watches not to be “threatened” by people warning of a bad flu season.Read more: This is a bad flu season. It could get worseYou can watch the full clip below:The current flu season is among the worst in recent history, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that the worst is yet to come."Our latest tracking data indicate that flu activity is still high and widespread across most of the nation and increasing overall," Dr. Anne Schuchat, the acting CDC director, told CNN. "So far this year, the cumulative rate of hospitalizations is the highest since we've been tracking in this way, which goes back to 2010.
Cover: Gloria Copeland, YouTube
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