Honduran Coups, Vaccines…
For many years when I would travel to Honduras, I would ask my friends and relatives why things were the way they were in that country (I was born there but emigrated with my parents to the United States when I was 4 or 5 years old). It seemed that no matter what Honduran governments did, the country was never able to pull itself out of its misery of extreme poverty…
Are GOP Candidates Wrong on Vaccines, Climate?
Instead of an opportunity to discuss issues, debates so far appear to be an effort to trap disfavored presidential candidates into appearing to be on the wrong side of The Science. Any comment a candidate ever made on vaccines or “climate change” will be brought up in a format that permits only seconds to discuss a complex subject. If one really wanted to…
The Ugly Untold Truth About the Pertussis Vaccine
The New York Times reports on a new study finding that the greatest risk to infants of being infected with the bacteria that causes whooping cough, or pertussis, now comes from their older siblings. The Times explains that this is “probably a result of waning immunity among children and adolescents who had received the DTaP vaccine.” Indeed, waning immunity…
WHO Reports Two Cases of Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus in Ukraine
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed two cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) in the Ukraine. The cases involved a four-year old child and a 10-month old child in the Zakarpatskaya region of southwestern Ukraine. The onset of paralysis occurred on June 30 and July 7, 2015. According to the WHO, the emergence of cVDPV1 was due…
Measles: The New Red Scare
Fear. It’s a natural and primal human emotion. While human instinct is exceptional in evaluating and reacting to a natural personal risk, as in facing a predator, humans are terrible at assessing modern risks. According to Psychology Today1 this is because our ancestors were programmed to quickly react and respond to a situation before it […]
Pertussis in Reno County: Another Outbreak Among the Vaccinated?
Reno County in south-central Kansas is reporting more than 70 suspected cases of pertussis (whooping cough) this year, as of July 18. Forty-one of the cases are “confirmed or probable,” according to the Reno County Health Department. That number is up from 18 reported as of June 29. The county accounts for 20% of the total pertussis cases in Kansas.
