Asymptomatic Carriers of Diphtheria Identified in Canadian School
Story Highlights A case of diphtheria has been confirmed in an elementary school in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Three other people, who are asymptomatic carriers of the bacterial disease have been identified and are being treated in isolation. The diphtheria vaccine is only available as a combination vaccine (DT, Td, DTaP, Tdap) and its effectiveness wanes over […]
Comparing the Health of Children in Japan and America
Story Highlights Japanese children are recognized as among the healthiest in the world, while American children compare poorly, despite the U.S. spending more than any other country on health care. Japan’s vaccine policy is non-compulsory, with vaccines considered either “routine” or “voluntary” but never forced. High rates of adverse events following MMR and HPV vaccinations […]
Baby Girl in India Dies Day After Getting the Pentavalent Vaccine
A four-and-a-half-month girl died in India on June 15, 2019 a day after she was given the “five-in-one” pentavalent vaccine (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B) at a rural child care center in the village of Kudluru, India.1 2 Soon after she was vaccinated, the baby developed a fever. When the […]
What’s So Effective About a Flu Vaccine That’s Less Than 10 Percent “Effective”?
Sometimes topics for opinion pieces just fall out of the sky. Last week, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the new estimate for the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine during the second half of the 2018-2019 “flu season” was only nine percent. That’s pretty bad even by influenza vaccine […]
Autism Affecting Up to 1 in 36 Children in America
In April 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report estimating the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States at 1 in 59 children. The figure was based on a 2014 survey of eight-year-old children across 11 residential communities in the country, so clearly it was out of […]
North Carolina Pharmacists Now Can Give Flu Shots to Younger Children
North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper signed legislation (HB 388) into law that allows children over 10 years of age to receive the influenza vaccine at local pharmacies without being required to see a pediatrician and without a prescription. The law takes effect on Oct. 1, 2019.1 2 The minimum age at which a child is […]