Is There a New Flu Vaccine for H1N1 for this Fall?

Is There a New Flu Vaccine for H1N1 (swine flu) Virus

for this Fall?

At the time of this posting, we can report that manufacturers are indeed

developing a new influenza vaccine to prevent infection from the

H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

This flu vaccine is not related to the usual fall flu vaccine.

If you get the usual fall flu vaccine, it may not protect against

the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

And, if you get the new H1N1 (swine flu) virus vaccine, it may

not protect against the usual flu.

Final point, this new H1N1 (swine flu) virus vaccine is not yet

available, and its safety has not yet been tested.

And so, at this time, we do not know when we will have

vaccine for the H1N1 (swine flu) virus available.

Stay posted,

Dr. Lavin

*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.

H1N1 Influenza (swine flu): Two Groups of Concern

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H1N1 Influenza (swine flu): Two Groups of Concern

In a recent report from the World Health Organization (from July 31, 2009), an

overall very reassuring picture was once again described, but two groups

have emerged as of concern in this H1N1 Influenza (swine flu) epidemic:

pregnant women and severely ill people.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/notes/h1n1_pregnancy_

20090731/en/index.html

Pregnant Women

Acoss the world, and in the US, if you are pregnant, you are more likely to get

more ill from the H1N1 Influenza (swine flu) virus. This infection can also be a

threat to the well-being of the fetus. If you are pregnant and get a runny

nose, fever, achy body pain, see your doctor right away.

Serious Illness

The second group of note discussed were those who do get very ill from H1N1

influenza (swine flu) virus. How do you know if you are seriously ill?

When you have these symptoms:

• shortness of breath, either during physical activity or while resting
• difficulty in breathing
• turning blue
• bloody or coloured sputum
• chest pain
• altered mental status
• high fever that persists beyond 3 days
• low blood pressure.

In children, danger signs include fast or difficult breathing,
lack of alertness, difficulty in waking up, and little or no desire to play.

If you or your child has any of these symptoms, call your doctor urgently.

If your child comes to Advanced Pediatrics, call and we will see him or

her the same day.

Bottom Line

The vast majority of people with infection from H1N1 Influenza (swine flu)

virus do very well.

Pregnant women infected with H1N1 Influenza (swine flu) virus are more likely

to get more ill.

Anyone pregnant with any signs of illness, and all others with serious signs

should seek medical attention promptly.

Dr. Lavin

*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.

SOY, ESTROGENS, and PEOPLE

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SOY, ESTROGENS, and PEOPLE

Recently a great number of questions have been raised about whether

soybeans have chemicals in them that act like estrogens in people.

Estrogens and their Effects

Estrogens are hormones that promote the development of female

features in people. The usual source of estrogen is the human ovary.

Any estrogen-like substance could have an impact in people, too.

But the key point to make is that even a change of one atom in an

estrogen molecule can render that hormone completely inert to the

human body.

Consider the difference between testosterone and estrogen.

We all know that testosterone causes the body to look and act male,

and that estrogen causes the body to look and act female.

Could any two substances have a dramatically more different impact?

And yet the actual physical difference between testosterone and

estrogen comes down two atoms of the entire molecule!

Do estrogens in soybeans have an impact on people?

So what about estrogens in soybeans? These are called phytoestrogens

(meaning, plant estrogens). These phytoestrogens are chemically quite

different from our own human estrogens, so it could be they have no effect

on people, or act like estrogens, or act like other hormones.

The only way to know is to look. So some researchers in St. Paul, MN

looked at dozens of published studies where dozens of researchers

looked at what happened to men who ate soy products. The question

they asked was: will eating soy products change their testosterone or

other hormone levels, and did they develop any female physical features?

The answer is resounding no.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19524224?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed

ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

So at this time, the evidence strongly suggests that eating soy,

soybean, edamame, tofu, soy milk, soy vegetable protein, or

other soy products, has no hormonal impact on people.

Dr. Lavin

*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.

POLIO ALERT

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POLIO ALERT

For more than a decade, the Western Hemisphere (including the US) has been officially declared polio free. This wonderful freedom from the risk of catching polio is now in danger.

In a recent New York Times article, a quite disturbing outbreak of polio has been documented across much of Africa.

Not too long ago, polio was happening in only one country in Africa, Nigeria. Suspicions on the part of some African Islamic leaders led to a drop in the use of polio immunization, and now polio is raging across a broad swath of the continent.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21glob.html)

My concern is that one day a person infected with live polio virus will travel from Africa to somewhere in the United States.

With the rise in the number of infants not immunized against polio, the chance that someone might catch this virus here in the US is once again imminent.

So please, if you have decided to not immunize your child for polio, give that decision a fresh look. The US was once polio free, but may not be for long.

Unimmunized children can get the full polio illness, including paralysis, even here in Ohio.

Please call us if you have any questions, we would be glad to discuss.

Dr. Lavin

*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.

Gum Might Prevent Cavities

Gum Might Prevent Cavities

Recently the possibility that xylitol might prevent cavities has come to light.

In the published study, people who ate 6gm or more a day of xylitol had 50-75% fewer cavities in their teeth.

The easiest way to deliver this benefit, believe it or not, is with sugarless gum.

Check the ingredient section of the gum, because only if you get 6gm or more of xylitol a day do you get the benefit. This typically will require chewing at least 6 sticks of gum a day.

The only down side appears to be that xylitol can cause stools to be looser.

Dr. Lavin

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*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.

H1N1 Influenza (swine flu): In Sharp Decline

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H1N1 Influenza (swine flu): In Sharp Decline

For all those worried about this summer's flu epidemic, there is

now very good news to report.

According to the most recent posting from the CDC, the early hints

that the number of infections by the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus might be

in decline have now been confirmed by data from the week ending

July 4, 2009.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

According to this report, this virus is now in very sharp decline, with

numbers the lowest reported of the epidemic.

If these trends continue, the summer flu epidemic may soon be over.

However, stay tuned, since this unusual virus does have the potential

to re-appear, perhaps as early as this fall.

For now, however, a great relief may very well be in sight.

Dr. Lavin

*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.

Scam Alert

SCAM ALERT

A company or individual has been found to be calling at least one family at Advanced

Pediatrics pretending to represent our practice, and asking people to send payments

for overdue balances to a post office box.

The only organization that currently is authorized to help us with billing is GlobalNet

Physician Services. So if you get a call asking for payment from anyone else but GlobalNet

or us, please do the following:

1. Note the phone number you were called from if you have caller ID
2. If they left a message, do not erase it.
3. Do not send them any money, they can use your check to begin identity theft.
4. Get as much information about the organization you can, such as, who is calling, numbers.

We have reported this incident to the police, but do not expect there to be many such

incidences. Only one has occurred in my experience in the last 24 years.

But, just in case, do let us know, and never send a payment to anyone but our office or our

authorized billing agency, GlobalNet Physician Services.

Thanks once again,

Dr. Lavin

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*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.