Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 9, 2010

Source:

B.C. measles outbreak expands to 26 cases

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for December 9, 2009

Sources: British researchers say little evidence Tamiflu works, but WHO says the drug is useful Swine Flu Pandemic May Be Less Severe Than Expected

I am not a fan of how newspapers use headlines to misrepresent stories to provke unwarranted fear, and heightened risk perception. Today, the Ottawa Citizen published two stories about seasonal and H1N1 vaccine. The first story, For Guillain-Barre survivors, flu shot stirs up unwelcome memories, emblazoned on the front page has all the elements of [...]

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen Friday, November 12, 2004 Original Title: Infection control for dummies Infection control can be a complicated matter, especially for viruses that spread as easily as the flu. The flu can spread through direct hand-to-hand contact, via airborne droplets (fomites) after a sneeze, and with contact with recently touched surfaces [...]

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 18, 2004 Original Title: The HN factor New information and reports of bird flu have shifted attention to the possibility of a new flu pandemic. The most lethal pandemic in our history occurred from 1917 to 1919 killing an estimated 20 million to 50 million people.

At the end of October, the Flu vaccine will be available in our region. Many will opt to forego an inexpensive and safe approach to preventing a disease that causes significant misery and death. Some fear the vaccine causes the flu; others take the chance that it will pass them by and many others will roll up their sleeves. Why should we protect ourselves? The historical record provides an excellent answer.

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 15, 2002 Original Title: Daycare Part III: A little red in the face Part I – Why children fight one cold after another Part II – Children’s eye diseases spread quickly What are the common childhood rashes seen in the school and daycare setting? Initially, many rashes can [...]

A recent article about parents holding chickenpox parties to intentionally infect their children perpetuates the popular misconception that chickenpox is a benign disease. One of the parents said: “It’s a natural way to deal with the problem, instead of introducing more chemicals into kids.” She was concerned about whether it provided lifelong immunity and erroneously believed that the vaccine had been available for only six years.

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen July 4, 2001 We know all too well the pain and suffering the victim, their families and friends endure from the scourge of AIDs. Imagine it’s the year 2051 and there is a vaccine for AIDs. AIDs has been virtually eliminated. Small outbreaks continue to occur but for the [...]