I work in an elementary school and am surrounded by sick kiddos during the winter season. I also have two kids of my own who attend two different schools and a husband who works in a health clinic. To say we are exposed to the flu regularly is an extreme understatement. I started using these gummies around Xmas time when the flu started making itself known in our small Wyoming town. I took two gummies in the morning and two gummies at night, daily. My kids (10 and 12) each took two gummies once per day. We were stupid and didn't get the flu shot. Around January many of my students and kids' friends came down with Influenza A. Everyone was dropping like flies. Our family remained strong...until...the gummies ran out. I had recommended them to all of my friends. Apparently everyone else had too because Amazon ran out and I couldn't find them available in any local or online drugstores. We went elderberry free for the remainder of January and all of February. About mid February my husband caught a nasty cold and passed it to me (I hadn't even had a sniffle when taking the Elderberry gummies.). Kids began coughing. I searched high and low but still no Sambucus gummies available anywhere. After fighting the cold for a few weeks, I ended up getting Influenza B. I passed it to my husband and daughter. At that time, I found some elderberry liquid at our local drugstore and began taking it immediately, as did my daughter. Since I was too late for Tamiflu by the time I was diagnosed, I had to solely rely on elderberry to help with symptoms. While friends fought the flu for 2 weeks, mine only lasted 4 days and my fever was gone. I won't lie...it was a rough 4 days, but the elderberry really helped ease my fever and symptoms and eventually eliminated the aches and fever. During that time, my shipment of Sambucus Elderberry gummies arrived. Everyone but my husband began taking them again. My daughter (who has Asthma) recovered from the flu in record time - exactly 3 days. During that time, her fever never went above 99.3 and her aches and stuffy nose were eliminated within 2-days. She's had the flu in the past and has never gotten through it so quickly, even with Tamiflu. Her lungs survived (and they're usually not so lucky) and she was back in school after a long weekend with high spirits and a healthy body. Our son never got the flu. My husband is still fighting it and ended up developing a secondary infection (he's asthmatic too) which has given him a serious medical fight. Do they work? YES. My family is living proof. I believe that we never would have gotten the flu had the gummies not run out. I'm sure my husband would be feeling much better had he taken them regularly. After all, everyone around us was sick in December and we remained healthy and strong. I can vouch for the fact that they do, indeed, minimize the severity of symptoms and they length of the actual flu. I think both the liquid (Nature's Way Sambucus Syrup) and these gummies were equally effective. The liquid is thick and overly sweet, and quite frankly, hard to swallow and stomach for continuous days. Neither of my kids liked it and they are sugar addicts. The gummies are delicious! They taste like grape fruit chews. My kids gobbled them up and asked for more. We've already ordered several reserve bottles and will continue using them until flu season is over. Next year, I'll get on top of the game and have it stockpiled in preparation for the fight. If chronic disease such as Asthma is in your family, these gummies will make a necessary addition to your flu-fighting arsenal