iCleveland

Good News on the Swine Flu Front
Good news on the swine flu front. According to the latest numbers from the American College Health Association, just 507 new cases of the H1N1 virus were reported last week and only 46% of the colleges being tracked were reporting new cases. By comparison, in mid-November 95% of the tracked colleges had new cases and the number of kids falling ill each week was hovering around 6,400.
Curious about totals? Read more…Good News on the Swine Flu Front originally appeared on About.com Parenting Young Adults on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 00:20:56.Permalink | Comment | Email this
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National Influenza Vaccination Week
With the continued decrease in flu activity across the United States, a lot of parents seem to think that flu season is over. It would be great if that were true, but unfortunately, a typical flu season can last until April or May. Even if we don’t see another wave of H1N1 cases, as some experts predict, the CDC states that over the next few months, ‘flu activity, caused by either 2009 H1N1 or seasonal flu viruses, may rise and fall.’
That makes National Influenza Vaccination Week, which kicks off today, a great time to get your kids their seasonal flu and H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Remember that it is definitely not too late to get vaccinated against the flu, as we continue to see flu cases and flu vaccine is now in better supply.

Related:
CDC – National Influenza Vaccination Week
Swine Flu Vaccine
Swine Flu Vaccine Safety and Controversy
Find Flu ShotsNational Influenza Vaccination Week originally appeared on About.com Pediatrics on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 13:42:22.Permalink | Comment | Email this
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Dem overreach watch: Chemicals
Under President Obama, the Environmental Protection Agency has been an activist arm of the White House. For instance, in December the EPA issued an endangerment finding that could allow the agency to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions–and have a burdensome effect on the economy and our lives. Meanwhile, Obama’s Food and Drug Administration wants to keep pace with the FDA, as the Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required) tells us:Forgive us for wondering if Joe Biden had a hand in writing the FDA’s recent pronouncement on bisphenol A (BPA), because it sounds strangely similar to his gaffe during the swine flu scare that travelling on airplanes was completely safe, though he wouldn’t recommend it for his family.Like airline travel, BPA is everywhere in our lives. It’s found primarily in such hard plastics as baby bottles and the interior lining of canned goods, but it is also sometimes present in CDs, dental fillings, store receipts, kitchen appliances, newspaper ink and Blackberries. It’s there to help maintain the structure of objects and provides a protective coating for wires and cans. Without BPA, people would be exposed to more harmful metals and substances.Nonetheless, BPA has suddenly become ground zero in the endless enviro war against chemicals.A preview of the BPA battle is available for viewing in Canada. In their book “Slow Death by Rubber Duck,” Canadian activists Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie chronicle how they used the media to terrify soccer moms who then petitioned the government to ban BPA.In 2007, after Canadian environmentalists outfitted babies and toddlers with “Don’t Pollute Me” signs, panicked retailers yanked baby bottles and other products containing BPA from their shelves.But the head of Health Canada’s investigation of BPA declared in a speech that “exposures [to BPA] are so low as to be totally inconsequential, in my view.” He was reassigned. But if the FDA can’t get the job done, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), is looking into empowering the EPA to do accomplish it–he wants to put more teeth in the Kids Safe Chemicals bill he proposed in 2008. His legislation would replace the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act.Yes, we should be protected from toxicity, but we should also be shielded from junk science and agenda-driven environmentalists who seemingly oppose everything. “Chemical” is a loaded word, and the assumption that all chemicals are by definition anathema to society needs to be reversed.The chemical industry has an obvious self-interest in producing safe products. It employs many people, and an overagressive government might hamper chemical firms. Which of course could mean fewer jobs. And perhaps dirtier air.Chemicals are used in batteries that power electric cars, solar cells can’t operate without them. Technorati tags: politics Democrats news lautenberg new jersey chemicals business environment green
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Today’s top stories
Today’ top Haiti stories ?Government Allows Haitians in U.S. Illegally to Stay for 18 MonthsCanada May Fast-Track Haitian ImmigrationAmerican Died at Haiti OrphanageMAMA! Rescuers pluck 2-year old boy from rubble…Haiti Earthquake: Looters, Machete Gangs and Fights for Water As Americans rush to aid; many Haitians won’t help themselvesHow Islam Breathed New Life Into Slavery and the Slave Trade in EuropeMichael Eric Dyson: Obama ?Runs from Race Like a Black Man Runs from a Cop?Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson criticized President Barack ObamaSenate May Use Reconciliation to Pass Health ReformBarney Frank: ‘If Scott Brown Wins, It’ll Kill The Health Bill’Scott Brown: Moves into lead in fresh pollKennedy’s Widow Campaigns for CoakleyUnions Cut Deal on Health Plan TaxesSpain Lawmaker’s Face Used on Bin Laden PosterSeattle parks considering ban on smoking, spitting and sexCivil Rights Commission Schedules Black Panther HearingsDon?t leave your South African hotel without a stab-resistant vestH1N1 Death Rates Higher for Hispanics, blacks, and Indians in CaliforniaLeftist on the attack: Palin Sold Out Her SupportersClinton presidential library attendance down 50%Swedish Rapper On Trial for Killing Jazz Pianist1 in 5 Americans Got Swine Flu VaccineSleep Talking Husband Becomes Web HitFor $65, tourists get peek at Los Angeles ganglandSantorum Mulls Run for PresidentKrauthammer: President Obama’s FallToday’s top cult news ?Teenage girl says “Alpha course” has “cult element”In a bad economy, Tampa Bay psychics see business on the riseFormer Washington Times Exec Sued for $31 MillionVoodoo faith ‘could hinder Haiti’s recovery from quake’Pro-Gay; anti-Mormon documentary sold out at upcoming Sundance Film FestivalEx-Polygamist Speaks Out To Southeast TexansFacebook fugitive became “cult figure”Goel Ratzon: Jewish Cult Leader Turns a Profit Goel Ratzon: Israeli cult leader arrested for allegedly keeping harem; fathering dozens Goel Ratzon: Israeli cult expert discusses Ratzon group.Goel Ratzon:: Women speak of love for ‘special’ man and caring husband
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DOES THIS MEAN WE’RE NOT ALL GOING TO DIE THIS WINTER?:
US swine flu epidemic shows signs of being over (MIKE STOBBE, 20510, AP)
Is the U.S. swine flu epidemic over? Federal health officials won’t go so far as to say that, but on Friday they reported for the fourth week in a row that no states had widespread flu activity.
Is it possible that scientists are the least responsible group in modern society?

MORE:
‘The Lancet’ Pricks Itself (Henry I. Miller, 02.05.10, Forbes)
Another egregious and exceedingly harmful example of a failure of peer review and editorial judgment at The Lancet was a 1998 paper by Scottish scientist Arpad Pusztai, which described feeding studies of genetically engineered and non-engineered potatoes to laboratory rats. Pusztai claimed to show that feeding potatoes genetically engineered to express a protein known to be toxic to certain insects caused damage to the immune system and stimulated abnormal cell division in the digestive tract of the rats.

However, many research groups–including some of Pusztai’s own collaborators–concluded that his research methodology was fundamentally flawed, that he misinterpreted his own data and that no conclusions about the safety of genetically engineered foods can be drawn from his data–or, indeed, from his experimental design. The experiments have been criticized for the small number of animals, the use of inappropriate statistical procedures and the fact that a diet of raw potatoes is an inadequate and even harmful diet.

After an extensive review by experts in several pertinent fields, the British Royal Society issued a statement in 1999 that detailed the ways in which the Pusztai experiment was fatally flawed. It concluded, “On the basis of this paper, it is wrong to conclude that there are human health concerns with the process of [genetic engineering] itself, or even with the particular genes inserted into these [genetically engineered] potatoes.

Similar to their response to the scientific community’s outrage over the Wakefield vaccine-autism paper, the editors of The Lancet demonstrated that in spite of the article’s admittedly deficient methodology–and over the strenuous objections of the paper’s reviewers–they published it to “make constructive progress in the debate between scientists, the media and the general public” about a very politically charged issue.
Why The WHO Faked A Pandemic (Michael Fumento, 02.05.10, Forbes)
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), a human rights watchdog, is publicly investigating the WHO’s motives in declaring a pandemic. Indeed, the chairman of its influential health committee, epidemiologist Wolfgang Wodarg, has declared that the “false pandemic” is “one of the greatest medicine scandals of the century.”

Even within the agency, the director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Epidemiology in Munster, Germany, Dr. Ulrich Kiel, has essentially labeled the pandemic a hoax. “We are witnessing a gigantic misallocation of resources [$18 billion so far] in terms of public health,” he said.

They’re right. This wasn’t merely overcautiousness or simple misjudgment. The pandemic declaration and all the Klaxon-ringing since reflect sheer dishonesty motivated not by medical concerns but political ones.
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US H1N1 epidemic coming to an end?
ReutersSwine flu: Is the US epidemic over?Minneapolis Star TribuneI got my H1N1 vaccination as soon as I could which because lack of supplies was in January. I haven’t heard anything about seasonal flu read more this year. Did it come and go? The latest: The odds of a third wave of pandemic H1N1 influenza hitting …Americans advised to get H1N1 vaccineCNNNow there’s plenty of H1N1 flu vaccineLos Angeles TimesH1N1 Swine Flu Down, Not OutWebMDWall Street Journal-Daytona Beach News-Journal-Kirksville Daily Express and Daily Newsall 664 news articles&#160gt;&#160gt;
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Dear Son Medical Update~Finally, A Smile
This past week has been mixed. The good news is that Dear Son has been sleeping better since the new regime I started last Friday. The new regime involved an extra can of formula and .5 ml of Risperdal at midnight, on the nights that he moans in his sleep, which has been every night except one. With the extra formula, he’s not waking up hungry at 3:30 -5 for his formula to be started. In addition, after a few days of this regime, he started to seem like his old self. He would smile and be happy at times. I started talking to him about his “Make a Wish” trip and the possibility of going back to school, once he’s feeling better. He smiled when I talked about that and he hasn’t done that since October prior to the whole swine flu hospitalization.The bad news is that he is having major issues with saliva. The scopolamine patch isn’t controlling his secretions very well and I am afraid he will choke on them. In the past, it was not uncommon from time to time that Dear Son would have times where the patch didn’t work as well as others. I don’t think it’s the patch as much as it is the fact that some days, things are worse than others for him and some days he may have more secretions than others. On Wednesday night, he was up virtually the entire night trying to breathe. I will be ordering the therapy vest and a suction machine shortly, as soon as the January hospital bill is processed. Once that is done, we should meet our deductible and be close to the stop loss, so it shouldn’t cost as much. I did try to do some chest pt this week but he seemed to scream out in pain when I did his upper right lung. I am not sure why since he is not presenting with a fever which means there isn’t a respiratory infection.The other major issue is that he still can’t sit up in the recliner or sit up without pain of some sort. On Tuesday, we took him for the CT scan and he fussed in the car all the way down and all the way back. I sat in the back seat with him so I could hold his hand and comfort him. His hand was shaking as well at times so I am not sure if he was having some seizure activity to boot. While we were in the waiting room, he continued to yell out and make noise most of the time. After the CT scan, we attempted to get lab work however they were not able to get any blood. The patch makes it very difficult to get blood from him so after 35 minutes or so, I said that was enough and took him home. I called the neurologist today since Dear Son’s saliva issues were fairly bad. He suggested adding an antihistamine at night to help dry up the secretions. He said it would be short acting and would help get him through the night. I thought this was brilliant. I hope it works. We also discussed the CT scan. The pneumatosis is completely gone, so that is the good news. The bladder is still very large. There weren’t any other findings to explain his pain from sitting. Interestingly enough, I got to see the CT scan while the tech was doing it. Dad was holding Dear Son on the table and the tech suggested I take a seat in the room with him. I saw the curvature of his spine and asked the tech if it was the test or if his spine was curved like that and he said it was his spine. I don’t know if that is playing a role in his sitting issues. In addition, Ped Neuro Doc e-mailed the ENT last week with regards to the saliva issues. He recommended two options: botox and removing the submandibular and parotid glands bilaterally. He said he’d prefer the first option since it’s a reasonably involved surgery. I reminded Ped Neuro Doc that we already had the botox surgeryinjections in January 2008 and it was unsuccessful. He’ll speak with him again with regards to next steps. If he does choose the surgical option, I’d like to have some discussion as to where one or both sides should be done. In the past, Ped Neuro Doc suggested one side be done. I’ll let them figure that out. As far as urinations with the patch, they remain unchanged. I am tracking his output and the number of urinations seem to be the same as without the patch. As of yet, I don’t think there is pain with that. Dear Son does moan at night and I am unclear if that is from the pain from urinary retention or something else but overall he seems better this week other than the secretions. On the back burner is the bowel movements. The frequency is slightly less and the volume is a lot smaller so I hope he’s not backing up. I have been feeling his abdomen to make certain it’s not hard or distended as of yet and when I push on it, he doesn’t seem to be in pain. Without the Miralax, I think we need to keep an eye on that. Overall, I would really be glad if this were over soon. It was very stressful on Tuesday taking him for the lab work and CT scan while worrying he might catch something down there and be back in the hospital. I didn’t realize how traumatic that was for me. In addition, we have to get things back to normal soon. He is still sleeping much of the day and there aren’t too many alternatives when he can’t sit up. It has been good seeing him more like himself this past week. I can’t even explain how thrilled I was that he was smiling and happy at times, just like the old Dear Son. In December, the docs had told me that his crying was “disease progression” and he’d probably cry the rest of his life. I was beside myself to think that Dear Son would cry forever and that I’d never see my happy-go-lucky son again. I am so relieved that the bulk of his pain is gone. All of the sweating is gone and other than the pain from sitting up and the moaning at night, he’s not crying any more like he used to. In retrospect, it is so hard to think back to these last ninety days and everything he has been through. It has really been a tough time for both of us. On a different note, I normally read a lot of different blogs however this week, I stumbled upon an old favorite of mine, “The Examining Room of Dr. Charles. When I started blogging in 2006, Dr. Charles was one of my favorite blogs. I’d read the “Grand Rounds” every Tuesday and soon was reading his blog all the time. Back then, most of the blogs were physician blogs and there were very few patient blogs, unlike today. He used to write these stories that were fascinating. In 2005, he self published a book, “Legends of the Examining Room”. Over time, he switched to this science blog and wrote more about science related issues than these patient stories however recently I saw that he’s moved again and has a new blog. Here is a clip from his latest post, “Attending to a Patient’s Funeral”:”You walk into the funeral space. Many people are gathered. You sense pockets of light humor and recalled happiness amid dark clouds of sadness and gloom. Although you know this is not about you, your ego can?t help assessing how others perceive you. Most of those present barely notice, but others recognize you. Is it surprise registering in a few faces ? that you?ve come to observe your patient?s defeat, that you?re emotionally invested in the person who once called you their doctor, or that you?re willing to dirty your powerful white coat with the stains of ultimate impotence? Or is it gratitude, that even in this darkest of reflective hours you?ve come to pay your respect to another who trusted you, confided in you, and who reached out to you for whatever healing you might bring?”You can read the rest of the post here. Dr. Charles blog, “The Examining Room of Dr. Charles” can be found here.
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Yes, WHO faked a pandemic and is now lying about it, my Forbes article
The World Health Organization has suddenly gone from crying &#160#8220;The sky is falling!&#160#8221; like a cackling Chicken Little to squealing like a stuck pig. The reason: charges that the agency deliberately fomented swine flu hysteria. &#160#8220;The world is going through a real pandemic. The description of it as a fake is wrong and irresponsible,&#160#8221; the agency claims on its Web site.
But I&#160#8217;ve been documenting the hoax since before a pandemic was declared, back when the WHO was just posturing about a proclamation.
I first showed that swine flu was exceptionally mild, when by definition flu pandemics had to be severe. I later showed that the WHO changed the definition to match swine flu, which required it to eliminate severity as a factor. That in turn makes the definition of &#160#8220;flu pandemic&#160#8221; absolutely worthless.
I also explained why the WHO did it. That it wasn&#160#8217;t mere bureaucratic turf-enlarging, but rather first an effort to cover up yet another WHO hysteria, over avian flu, and then an attempt to bring &#160#8220;social justice&#160#8221; to the world and redistribute wealth between nations. That from the very mouth of its secretary general!
Now with a European watchdog group calling hearings on what it&#160#8217;s labeled a &#160#8220;false pandemic,&#160#8221; the WHO is claiming 1) that it didn&#160#8217;t change the definition, and 2) that there was never a definition that required severity.
These are incredibly bold lies, given that you can find the old definition on the Web and people like me tell you right where to go to find it. Like here.
My Forbes piece, &#160#8220;Why The WHO Faked A Pandemic,&#160#8221; has a video clip of WHO swine flu &#160#8220;czar&#160#8221; Keiji Fukuda (see picture) lying through his teeth, along with another link to written testimony in which he lies about a different aspect.
The European group calls the WHO&#160#8217;s actions &#160#8220;one of the greatest medicine scandals of the century.&#160#8221; Just so, and the more the WHO does it&#160#8217;s CYA routine, the worse it gets. Pinocchio&#160#8217;s nose is already poking out the window.
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Flu Report Feb. 5 – What Swine Flu ISN?T Doing
Here&#160#8217;s an amazing fact. Traditionally flu season peaks in mid-February. Essentially now. Yet in mid-October CDC labs reported 11,908 positive flu samples. This past week they reported only 119, in turn fewer than the week before! NO states are reporting widespread flu activity.
There in a nutshell is your awful swine flu epidemic everybody warned of.
As I&#160#8217;ve repeatedly written, as was the case in Australia and New Zealand, the milder swine flu has simply brushed aside the far deadlier seasonal flu. In essence, swine flu has become our seasonal flu. And whether the health authorities end up admitting it or not, as was the case in Australia and New Zealand where they had NO swine flu vaccine, a lot fewer of us are going to die this year as a result.
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Swine Flu Vaccine Program – ?155 To Give?
NY City spent $155 to give Swine Flu Vaccine. www.DrMDK.com
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