It’s flu season Again. Time to run out and get your flu vaccine 2012-13 version before you too become infected. Everyone’s doing it, but does it work? As a result of the near universal recommendation from your physician and the seemingly endless barrage of advertisements on the radio, TV and print media, you decide that […]
Inactivated Intranasal Flu Vaccine and Risk of Bell’s Palsy For those of you unfamiliar with Bell’s Palsy, it is paralysis of the facial nerve which results in one half of the face drooping. This damage can be permanent in some instances. Usually takes several months to resolve. Here we have a vaccine for the flu–which, […]
Update: West Nile Virus Activity — United States, 2005 It’s a wonder we don’t all lock ourselves in our houses, seal up every little crack, and cower in the corner for fear of contracting ebola, west nile, influenza, necretizing fascitis or some other “disease of the day” condiiton. The fear given to the spread of […]
Influenza-Associated Deaths Reported Among Children Aged <18 Years — United States, 2003–04 Influenza Season With all the hype going around I thought I should include this one. 42 reported deaths. 40% had underlying chronic medical conditions and the main cause of death the the flu is a secondary bacterial infection. The media has really made […]
Are US flu death figures more PR than science? And, for those of you who believes the fear-mongering, this article is a must read. In 2001, the CDC announced some 62,000 deaths attributed to influenza and pneumonia (which they conveniently lump together). Unfortunately, according to the CDC’s own number, the actual confirmed deaths from the […]
