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CA Family Doctor's Letter To Patients On His Children's H1N1 Vaccine Shots
Oct 28, 2009 
Davis Liu M.D.--
As a practicing primary care doctor and as the only doctor in my family, I take my job very seriously. Particularly now with so much information available literally at anyone's fingertips via the internet that separating the truth from hype can be impossible for patients. The public often gravitates towards those with media publicity and exposure rather than expertise. This was reinforced by a recent Newsweek article which found Suzanne Somers' recent book about nutritional cures for cancer treatment as questionable.
So certainly the amount of exposure regarding the H1N1 vaccine and who should get it and why has been getting plenty of air time, bandwidth, and newsprint.
So, why did I choose to get the H1N1 vaccine?
Because it is the right thing to do for myself, my wife, and my children.
Here's the scenario. A new novel flu virus that targets those 25 years and younger and who are twenty- six more times likely to come down with it than those 65 years and older appears out of the blue in April 2009. Healthy children, young adults, and pregnant women are disproportionately affected. Many die. The world's best scientists and researchers, using the latest in medical research, identify and sequence the virus in record time. The blueprint is handed off to pharmaceutical companies in a Herculean effort to produce enough vaccine for a world fearful that another 1918 pandemic is among us, where millions of young and healthy individuals died before their time.
The 2009 summer continued to see significant cases of H1N1 flu. In late October, 46 states report widespread H1N1 virus activity. Doctor visits related to influenza like illnesses stand at 7 percent with no end in sight.
Based on the latest monitoring, the overwhelming virus type is H1N1. From the CDC of the nearly 5,000 specimens that tested positive for influenza, 99.8% where influenza A and nearly 70% were confirmed to be 2009 H1N1. Of the remaining 30% that weren't initially subtyped, those that were submitted to CDC for further analysis ultimately were H1N1. From CDC:
No. of specimens tested 12,943
No. of positive specimens (%) 4,855 (37.5%)
Positive specimens by type/subtype
Influenza A 4,844 (99.8%)
A (2009 H1N1) 3,378 (69.7%)
A (subtyping not performed) 1,436 (29.6%)
A (unable to subtype) 30 (0.6%)
A (H3) 0 (0.0%)
A (H1) 0 (0.0%)
Influenza B 11 (0.2%)
During week 41, influenza B viruses co-circulated at low levels with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses. All subtyped influenza A viruses reported to CDC this week were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.
Finally, American medicine develops a designer vaccine that is specific for exactly the virus that is the predominate strain this flu season. The vaccine only has one virus type and not the typical cocktail of multiple viruses used in the seasonal flu vaccine. The flu season is caused by one type of virus, which the vaccine provides protection for. In addition, this designer vaccine is produced using proven production techniques and given via a delivery system (injection form) used for years. Side effects are very mild and have been documented with previous vaccines.
That's the story. Here's the irony. Public response? 38 percent of parents, when offered, refused the H1N1 vaccine for their children.
Perhaps it is how we get our information and news. Our society is focused on 30 second sound bites. The general public lends weight to individuals with celebrity status and often equates their media exposure to scientific and medical expertise. Viruses don't care if you are Republican, Democratic, or Independent. When public figures like Bill Maher and Glenn Beck talk about their opinion, they need to state that their opinion is for entertainment only and in no way is a substitute for medical expertise (you would think that would be obvious to listeners).
As a practicing primary care doctor, I continue to worry about how the public gets its important health care information and its ability to separate hype from the truth.
Get educated. Get informed. If you refuse, then that is ok as long as it is informed refusal. If you refuse because of ignorance, then I hope you or your loved one never gets ill and dies from this preventable illness. A lifelong feeling of regret when something could have been done, but wasn't isn't a burden I wish on anyone.
Quick summary.
- Novel potentially deadly virus preying on the young and healthy as well as pregnant women?
- Identified and sequenced.
- Possible vaccination? Developed using proven techniques.
- Side effects? Well known and mild.
- Public response? Fear, apathy, and inaction.
My worry? That the flu season isn't as bad as what the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology forecast as one scenario of a 30% prevalence of H1N1 resulting in 90 million ill, nearly 2 million hospitalized, and at least 30,000 dead.
The best part so far with the H1N1 vaccine? The side effects of the shot are actually much better than the seasonal vaccine, which we all received last month. My children didn't have any fever. My arm wasn't sore at all.
I'm ready for this flu season as one of the front line primary care doctors.
Are you?
Still confused? Find out of the vaccination or the nasal spray is best for your children. Why people fear the H1N1 vaccine. Fast facts about H1N1 - although for the latest information go to Flu.gov or CDC.
Davis Liu, MD, is a respected family physician, a healthcare educator and writer, and the author of Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America's Healthcare System. He is a practicing board-certified family physician with the Permanente Medical Group in Northern California since 2000. Dr. Liu received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency training at the Glendale Adventist Family Practice Residency Program.
Until healthcare reform improves the American healthcare system, he feels individuals today need to have the vital information necessary to ensure that they are doing the right things so that they and their families Stay Healthy, Live Longer, and Spend Wisely.
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Reader Comments (8)
There are many ways to treat this virus, or any virus and I would not vaccinate myself. I use very common Chinese herbal formulas any time I have any exposure to the flu or a cold. The disease never progresses and I don't put some chemical in my body. Properly prescribed, there are no side effects to worry about. I know many parents that take their children to herbalists and they remain healthy.
People have plenty of reason to distrust flu vaccines, there are too many reports even within the traditional medical establishment that they don't save the young or elderly or reduce the risk of infection...why would this vaccination be any different?
Because Chinese medicine isn't big business in the US it doesn't have the massive money to market its products, or the government hawking its remedies.
Each person needs to decide what is best for them, but I am tired of the government, big pharma and MDs forcing people to put anything in their bodies that don't want to. Vaccines were made for life threatening and life altering issues like small pox, polio, and many other devastating diseases.
Pharma is now trying to force vaccinations on people through the government in order to sell more, make more money. They now want a parent to vaccinate their children for chicken pox. Ridiculous!
The greatest problem is patients who ignore that they are ill and don't see any physician immediately, or they try to self treat. They wait too long and the diease progresses too far. This has happened in several cases of children dying from H1N1. Often, there have been other "issues" complicating the case.
All diseases are easier to treat when caught in early stages, and parents aren't medical professionals. However, medical doctors don't know everything and they are not the only option to consider and neither is pharmaceutical intervention or vaccination.
It is horrible that anyone is dying of the flu in 2009, but I am not convinced that vaccination is effective...too many reports stating they are not.
And Dr. Liu, since you brought it up...there ARE many natural ways to treat many forms of cancer effectively. The best and safest way is to integrate allopathic care and good dietary habits and other medicine systems. Cancer doesn't do well in high alkaline and high oxygen envirnonments, it loves stress hormones and acidic environments. Diet can have a profound effect on the developement and treatment of cancer and help one deal with the terrible side effcts of radiation and chemo. I haven't read Ms. Sommers book so I don't know what ideas she presents, but don't discount natural means to treat disease just because you don't know a thing about them.
I have worked alongside Acupuncture Physicians who specilized in cancer care. Most of them taught their patients to take advantage of allopathic medicine in the treatment of their cancer while also treating them with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, dietary recommendations, stress reduction skills, tai chi and qigong.
Those patients faired far better than cancer patients only receiving allopathic care. Side effects were much lower, immune cell counts were higher and patient's quality of life much better. There are Chinese formulas studied at places like Moffit Cancer Center that have been shown to increase white blood cells and to inhibit tumor growth. Top oncologists at the University of Miami recommended massage as good for cancer patients as it reduces cortisol in the body and lower cortisol is good for cancer patients and bad for cancer. Simply being touched.
One of my professors, a Chinese woman who had been a complete non believer in her native medicine became a believer when her allopaths told her they could not offer her hope for her brain tumor. She educated herself (was already a PhD level research scientist) about diet, nutrition and Chinese herbal medicine and cured herself. She is now an Aucpuncture Physician in South Florida.
When you allopaths lose your arrogant belief that only YOU know how to treat illness, then we might actually find a healthcare system that will work in this country, cost millions if not billions less to provide...and create more health and wellness instead of medicine.
It’s scary, though. My boyfriend’s two young daughters got swine flu recently. They’ve both fully recovered, but it’s made me think a little more about getting the vaccine for my son. it’s hard to shut up the “what if”s, but I just don’t feel like it’s the right thing to do my my son.
I reserve the right to change my mind, though… :)
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