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swine flu vaccine

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:39 am
by indigoinmotion
What are your thoughts on this vaccine? Is anyone getting it? I was convinced that I was Not, but my neuro thinks it is a good idea. I've never even had the regular flu vaccine. thanks -indigo : )

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:33 am
by Loriyas
I received this via email regarding H1N1 and vitamin D. Thought I would pass it on:





September 17, 2009

I’m writing to alert readers to a crucial email from a physician who has evidence vitamin D is protective against H1N1 and to ask you, the reader, to contact your representatives in Washington to help protect Americans, especially children, from H1N1 before winter comes.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

Your recent newsletters and video about Swine flu (H1N1) prompted me to convey our recent experience with an H1N1 outbreak at Central Wisconsin Center (CWC). Unfortunately, the state epidemiologist was not interested in studying it further so I pass it on to you since I think it is noteworthy.

CWC is a long-term care facility for people with developmental disabilities, home for approx. 275 people with approx. 800 staff. Serum 25-OHD has been monitored in virtually all residents for several years and patients supplemented with vitamin D.

In June, 2009, at the time of the well-publicized Wisconsin spike in H1N1 cases, two residents developed influenza-like illness (ILI) and had positive tests for H1N1: one was a long-term resident; the other, a child, was transferred to us with what was later proven to be H1N1.

On the other hand, 60 staff members developed ILI or were documented to have H1N1: of 17 tested for ILI, eight were positive. An additional 43 staff members called in sick with ILI. (Approx. 11-12 staff developed ILI after working on the unit where the child was given care, several of whom had positive H1N1 tests.)

So, it is rather remarkable that only two residents of 275 developed ILI, one of which did not develop it here, while 103 of 800 staff members had ILI. It appears that the spread of H1N1 was not from staff-to-resident but from resident-to-staff (most obvious in the imported case) and between staff, implying that staff were susceptible and our residents protected.


Sincerely,

Norris Glick, MD
Central Wisconsin Center
Madison, WI

Dear Dr. Glick:

This is the first hard data that I am aware of concerning H1N1 and vitamin D. It appears vitamin D is incredibly protective against H1N1. Dr. Carlos Carmago at Mass General ran the numbers in an email to me. Even if one excludes 43 staff members who called in sick with influenza, 0.73% of residents were affected, as compared to 7.5% of staff. This 10-fold difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). That is, the chance that this was a chance occurrence is one less than one in a thousand.

Second, if you read my last newsletter, you will see that children with neurological impairments, like the patients at your hospital, have accounted for 2/3 of the childhood deaths for H1N1 so far in the USA. That is, the CDC knows, because they reported it, that patients with neurological impairments are more likely to die from H1N1.

The problem is that I cannot get anyone in authority at the CDC or the NIH to listen. I need readers to email or call their senators and congresspersons in Washington.

Ask your senator or congressperson to contact the CDC and NIH to complain about CDC and NIH inaction on Vitamin D and H1N1. Also, ask your senators and representative to demand congressional hearings on Vitamin D and H1N1, before it is too late. Here is the link below, just click it and follow instructions to contact your own represenatives.

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

John Cannell, MD
President
Vitamin D Council
585 Leff Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93422

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:01 pm
by scoobyjude
I saw my neuro Tuesday and asked him if he felt I should get the swine flu vaccine and if I fell into the at-risk group. He said that if I got the flu it would hit me harder than someone without a neurological condition, but I didn't technically fall into the at-risk category. While he's not against getting a vaccine he did say he wouldn't get the swine flu vaccine because it is new and in his opinion, risky. He did suggest I get a regular flu vaccine but I never have before and I doubt I will. He's a very cautious neuro which I both like and sometimes get frustrated over. He pretty much told me that he wouldn't prescribe me cladabrine until he was satisfied with it's performance. I respect his opinion on these matters even though it can sometimes be disappointing. I think that I may just up my vit D intake as suggested in Loriyas' post and do a lot of handwashing and hope that keeps the swine away.

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:39 am
by jimmylegs
there isn't any science i've been able to find looking at selenium and H1N1 specifically, but it doesn't hurt to optimize your se status.
se is low in ms patients. here are a few snippets on se and viral infection

http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/short/15/8/1481
1. Selenium deficiency increases lung pathology in influenza-infected mice
The lungs of selenium-deficient mice had significantly more inflammation at days 4, 6, 10, and 21 after infection than those of Se-adequate controls (Fig. 1 ). Lung pathology peaked at day 6 after infection in both dietary groups. Pathology in the Se-adequate mice began to diminish after day 6, whereas pathology in the Se-deficient mice was still severe even 21 days after infection. The infiltrate in both Se-deficient and Se-adequate mice was characterized as an interstitial pneumonitis, typical for a murine influenza infection.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abs ... 33/5/1463S
The discovery that the juvenile cardiomyopathy known as Keshan disease likely has a dual etiology that involves both a nutritional deficiency of the essential trace mineral selenium (Se) as well as an infection with an enterovirus provided the impetus for additional studies of relationships between nutrition and viral infection. An amyocarditic strain of coxsackievirus B3, CVB3/0, converted to virulence when it was inoculated into Se-deficient mice. This conversion was accompanied by changes in the genetic structure of the virus so that its genome closely resembled that of other known virulent CVB3 strains. Similar alterations in virulence and genomic composition of CVB3/0 could be observed in mice fed normal diets but genetically deprived of the antioxidant selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase (knockout mice). More recent research has shown that a mild strain of influenza virus, influenza A/Bangkok/1/79, also exhibits increased virulence when given to Se-deficient mice. This increased virulence is accompanied by multiple changes in the viral genome in a segment previously thought to be relatively stable. Epidemic neuropathy in Cuba has features that suggest a combined nutritional/viral etiology. Further research, both basic and applied, is needed to assess properly the possible role of malnutrition in contributing to the emergence of novel viral diseases.

and as an aside for anyone suffering ms and thyroid comorbidities..

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/conten ... /87/4/1687
In areas with severe selenium deficiency there is a higher incidence of thyroiditis due to a decreased activity of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity within thyroid cells. Selenium-dependent enzymes also have several modifying effects on the immune system. Therefore, even mild selenium deficiency may contribute to the development and maintenance of autoimmune thyroid diseases.