A Good Day For Immunization

A free public service for a better community

Alan Unell Ph.D.

May 24, 2024

A Good Day To Advocate for Better Healthcare

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Krill Oil for Osteoarthritis? Nope

This study published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Question In people with knee osteoarthritis who have significant knee pain and effusion-synovitis present on magnetic resonance imaging, does krill oil supplementation, compared with placebo, improve knee pain?

Findings In this randomized clinical trial that included 262 adults, compared with placebo, 2 g/d of krill oil supplementation did not improve knee pain as measured on a visual analog scale (range, 0-100, with 0 indicating least pain) (mean difference, 0.30; 95% CI, −6.9 to 6.4; P = .94) over 24 weeks.

Meaning This study does not support 2 g/d of krill oil supplementation for improving knee pain in people with knee osteoarthritis who have significant knee pain and effusion-synovitis.

COVID Vaccines and Long COVID

COVID-19 patients vaccinated against the novel coronavirus were less likely to have symptoms of post-COVID condition (PCC), or long COVID, according to a new study in Nature Communications. The study was based on outcomes seen among patients in eight large healthcare systems in the United States who had positive SARS-CoV-2 tests between March 2021 and February 2022. (CIDRAP)

Measles on the Rise - 4 Evil & False Tropes

The Kaiser Family Foundation produced an outstanding report on measles and the tricks used to convince parents to not vaccinate their children. Here is the link. These same arguments used against other vaccines.

Measles is on the rise in the United States. In the first quarter of this year, the number of cases was about 17 times what it was, on average, during the same period in each of the four years before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Half of the people infected — mainly children — have been hospitalized.

This will get worse as the number of unvaccinated people grows.

Many parents have been influenced by a flood of misinformation spouted by politicians, podcast hosts, and influential figures on television and social media. These personalities repeat decades-old notions that erode confidence in the established science backing routine childhood vaccines.

The No-Big-Deal Trope

A common distortion is that vaccines aren’t necessary because the diseases they prevent are not very dangerous, or too rare to be of concern. Cynics accuse public health officials and the media of fear-mongering about measles even as 19 states report cases.

Measles kills roughly 2 of every 1,000 children infected, according to the CDC. If that seems like a bearable risk, it’s worth pointing out that a far larger portion of children with measles will require hospitalization for pneumonia and other serious complications. For every 10 measles cases, one child with the disease develops an ear infection that can lead to permanent hearing loss. Another strange effect is that the measles virus can destroy a person’s existing immunity, meaning they’ll have a harder time recovering from influenza and other common ailments.

Measles vaccines have averted the deaths of about 94 million people, mainly children, over the past 50 years, according to an April analysis led by the World Health Organization.

The ‘You Never Know’ Trope

Since the earliest days of vaccines, a contingent of the public has considered them bad because they’re unnatural, as compared with nature’s bounty of infections and plagues. “Bad” has been redefined over the decades. In the 1800s, vaccine skeptics claimed that smallpox vaccines caused people to sprout horns and behave like beasts. More recently, they blame vaccines for ailments ranging from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to autism to immune system disruption. Studies don’t back the assertions. However, skeptics argue that their claims remain valid because vaccines haven’t been adequately tested. One medical professional pointed out to me that autism is typically presented around age 2 to 3. Around that time children get vaccines. These correlations are not causation. P.S. my favorite correlation not causation argument is that every mass murderer grew up drinking milk.

In fact, vaccines are among the most studied medical interventions. Over the past century, massive studies and clinical trials have tested vaccines during their development and after their widespread use. More than 12,000 people took part in clinical trials of the most recent vaccine approved to prevent measles, mumps, and rubella. Such large numbers allow researchers to detect rare risks, which are a major concern because vaccines are given to millions of healthy people.

To assess long-term risks, researchers sift through reams of data for signals of harm. For example, a Danish group analyzed a database of more than 657,000 children and found that those who had been vaccinated against measles as babies were no more likely to later be diagnosed with autism than those who were not vaccinated. In another study, researchers analyzed records from 805,000 children born from 1990 through 2001 and found no evidence to back a concern that multiple vaccinations might impair children’s immune systems.

The Too-Much-Too-Soon Trope

Several bestselling vaccine books on Amazon promote the risky idea that parents should skip or delay their children’s vaccines. “All vaccines on the CDC’s schedule may not be right for all children at all times,” writes Paul Thomas in his bestselling book “The Vaccine-Friendly Plan.” NOT TRUE AND HIS MEDICAL LICENSE In OREGON IS UNDER A TEMP SUSPENSION.

PS Not following the CDC schedule can be a problem. Delaying MMR doses may be problematic, data suggests. Children vaccinated at 10 or older have a higher chance of adverse reactions, such as a seizure or fatigue.

’They Don’t Want You to Know’ Trope (Conspiracy - on Steroids)

Claims like “they don’t want you to know” aren’t new among the anti-vaccine set, even though the movement has long had an outsize voice.

Epidemiologists have conducted more than a dozen studies searching for a link between vaccines and autism, and repeatedly found none. “We have conclusively disproven the theory that vaccines are connected to autism,” said Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, an epidemiologist at the University of Wollongong in Australia. “So, the public health establishment tends to shut those conversations down quickly.”

Federal agencies are transparent about seizures, arm pain, and other reactions that vaccines can cause. And the government has a program to compensate individuals whose injuries are scientifically determined to result from them.

Around 1 to 3.5 out of every million doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction; a person’s lifetime risk of death by lightning is estimated to be as much as four times as high.

DO THE MATH - SAFER TO VACCINATE

Summary

Vaccinations are statistically safe and effective. Measles Mumps and Rubella, especially so.

Parents have an obligation to protect their children. Do the research, do the math, then vaccinate them.

If there is a child in your sphere - make sure they are up to date on their immunizations. You do it for them and for all of us. Here is the CDC set of guidelines for vaccinations through age 18. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html

Abortion Rights Under Attack in Louisiana

Louisiana lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation making the possession of abortion pills without a prescription a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

It now heads to the desk of GOP Gov. Jeff Landry, who has not publicly weighed in on the legislation but is expected to sign it. PS Louisiana also has higher than average maternal mortality. Extremely high infant mortality and extremely high infant death at birth. Here is a link to the data. Doesn’t seem that they are anxious to protect any life.

ACTION

One of the more difficult parts of advocacy is having to repeat yourself over and over. We need to do that with our elected representatives - over and over - so they begin to believe their jobs depend on it.

RESISTBOT: On your cell phone text SIGN PUPDJV to 50409 to send the President, our Senators, and our Member of Congress this message.

“I am your constituent and I just found out that Louisiana is going to make possession of abortion medication without a prescription a felony. STOP IT. I want you to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and restore women to full citizenship with bodily autonomy by making abortion access a right nationwide. You either are a woman or are married to one, have a sister or a mom. Lives are at stake and it is high time our elected officials behaved that way. “

Resources

Find My Elected Officials

Contact State and Federal Representatives - phone and email

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Healthcare Advocacy (Us) Website

Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare - Healthcare Advocacy Reading List

Important Healthcare Resources

League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit

Organizations to Contact

National Nurses United Medicare4All

Physicians for a National Health Program

One Payer States

Healthcare Now

Reproductive Health

NARAL - Pro Choice America

Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion

Planned Parenthood

Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.

United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.

Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.