The U.S. government has ordered 250 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine.  For those who have decided to vaccinate, you may be surprised to learn that it is not always easy to locate the vaccine.  The main reason relates to the pace of production.  As of October 21st only about 11 million doses have been shipped.  These initial doses are reserved for the “high-risk” patients.  The exact criteria vary from state to state, but generally include: [Read more...]

I am surprised by how many people are are scared to get the H1N1 vaccine but they are happy to choke down a few Tamiflu® tablets at the first sign of the Flu.  The irony is that the vaccine has been clearly established to prevent H1N1 in most people with a very low rate of adverse events.  The evidence for Tamiflu® on the other hand is not so bright.  There is scant evidence that it is in any way helpful for most people and a wealth of evidence suggests that it can be harmful.   Lets take a little closer look at Tamiflu® by asking two simple questions: [Read more...]

There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the need for H1N1 testing. In MOST cases you should not go see your doctor just to be tested for H1N1. Rarely, if you or your child falls into a “high-risk” category, or there are signs and symptoms of severe disease, testing may be indicated. This post is meant to help you understand when, and in who, H1N1 testing may be helpful. [Read more...]

So just how bad is it? Today I read a headline…“28 Pregnant Women Dead from H1N1.” Sounds like the sky is falling and you had better get your vaccine (which is not yet available) or put yourself in a bubble before you get the 2009 plague. As is so often the case, it is hard to know what to make of the garbage that the media feeds us. Should I be worried? Should I stay at home? Should I keep my kids out of school?  My prescription … A healthy dose of caution mixed with some common sense. [Read more...]

There is just so much information available to us these days that it is often difficult to even know where to start when trying to answer a basic question.  One question that I have, as do many of my readers is… [Read more...]

I have been looking at the swine flu and what it means for pregnant women. Now I want to shift gears and look at what H1N1 means for kids. For the most part, no one knows for sure what it means for kids. However, when we look back to previous flu epidemics and over the last few years we can certainly draw some rational conclusions. [Read more...]

There is still a great deal of concern in the press and especially cyberspace regarding Thimerosal, which is a mercury containing compound.  This is despite a wealth of evidence that it in no way leads to, or causes, autism.  However, [Read more...]

The results are in for the best of the best in pediatric care.  Each year U.S. News and World Report publishes a list of the top ranked pediatric hospitals in America.  In recent years they have broken it down further into the top ranked hospitals by specialty.  Of course the results are not all that surprising and the same players are generally always in the Top-10. [Read more...]

Here is a link to some recent stats on measles in the US. Of all the vaccines that parents choose to decline or delay, this is almost certainly number one on the list. More, of all the vaccines given, this is also first on the list for fear-mongering by the media and conspiracy theorizing by rogue scientists. Smart Parents no doubt consider all the information when making health decisions for their children. This article is certainly one important [Read more...]