> Can they tell me how to overcome my completely irrational fear of needles?
>
>
Just make sure to look away. Don't watch the needle at all and don't look at
the nurse (unless she is really cute. I have noticed that blood donors
include a lot of young women, I find that sufficiently distracting that I am
not looking at the needle.)

Back to the original post, I have often thought that paleo man was far more
resistant to infections in cuts and abrasions than are most moderns who work
in soft, clean environments, just because of the vaccination effect.

A few years back the so-called flesh eating bacteria became famous. Minor
wounds would suddenly turn into life-threatening infections. My guess is
that these people just had not had their immune systems challenged enough.

At work I get a lot of minor cuts on my hands, and wood slivers that develop
minor infections. I think that would help my body fight off serious
infections if I ever got a bad wound.