Effective Smoking Deterrent

I don't usually care for commercials, but they got me on one today. I usually get pissed when I have to wait five seconds to skip an ad...and those sly marketers did it. The simple headline, "Tips From Former Smokers," grabbed me. What? And from the opening line--it's genius!

"When you got a hole in your neck, don't face the shower head."

Bam! Powerful. And it keeps getting better. If this ain't a deterrent for smoking, man, nothing's gonna stop ya. Yeah, it worked for me.

Listen up, school boards...play this CDC video for every kindergarten, grammar school and high school in the world if you want to deter smoking. Make them in different languages. Don't hold back, show the kids--you'll probably decrease new smokers by fifty percent. G'head--dare ya. And tell 'em Campos told ya.

Share No Insulin Pens

Every junkie knows it's unwise to share needles, but somebody needs to tell that to diabetics. Sharing insulin pens puts people at risk for infection with blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis viruses and HIV. And here's the kicker: Infection can occur even if an insulin pen's needle is changed.

Insulin pens are injector devices that contain a reservoir for insulin or an insulin cartridge. They're designed to enable patients to self-inject insulin and are intended for single-person use. But sharing is what some diabetics are doing. Not smart, folks. Check it:

In 2009, reports of improper insulin pen use in hospitals led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue an alert to health care workers (duh!) to remind them that pens are for single-patient use only. But despite the warning, there have been continuing reports of patients put at risk through inappropriate reuse and sharing of insulin pens, including an incident last year that required notification of more than 2,000 potentially exposed patients, said the Centers of Disease Control (CDC).

The CDC's recommendations:

• Insulin pens containing multiple doses of insulin are meant for use on a single patient only, and should never be used for more than one person, even when the needle is changed.
• Insulin pens should be clearly labeled with the patient's name or other identifying information to ensure that the correct insulin pen is used only on the correct patient.
• Hospitals and other facilities should review their policies and educate staff regarding safe use of insulin pens and similar devices.
• If re-use of an insulin pen occurs, exposed patients should receive immediate notification and be offered appropriate follow-up, including blood-borne pathogen testing.

The recommendations apply to any setting where insulin pens are used, including health care facilities, assisted living or residential care facilities, health fairs, shelters, detention centers, senior centers, schools and camps. Be safe, diabetics--share no insulin pens. Nuff said.

I'm Done With Swine Flu

Anybody else thoroughly over hearing about the swine flu? I know you are, but I thought I'd wrap it up (I vow to lay off the story from this point forward) by sharing a chuckle about this completely over-hyped mass hysteria. Reports coming off the news wires have been mixed regarding H1N1 infections; some have them labeled as disastrous, others as no big deal. Let's check a few out:

On the-worst-thing-since-Typhoid-Mary scene, deaths from swine flu are up everywhere--U.S., India, Israel, California--madness. Many groups are supposedly at increased risk--Native Americans and Eskimos (not kidding), new mothers, children, seniors, and people with chronic lung disorders like asthma and COPD.

However, despite the massive danger to most everyone but people living in plastic bubbles--the public isn't buying into the hysteria (thank goodness). According to a report last week, the number of Americans getting tested for swine flu has decreased by 75%. Awesome! And the number of tests coming back positive has dropped from 44% in November to only 21% for the two weeks ending Dec. 9. Nice!

So the swine flu epidemic has been more hype than headache. In fact, the actual cases of swine flu reported may be grossly over-exaggerated. Check out this piece by CBS news showing the CDC stopped counting actual swine flu cases individually back in July. Now why would they do that? The piece does a good job of explaining the rationale behind the decision, and if you've got a few minutes, check the video below to get an outstanding account of the chronology of the swine flu hysteria. This is CBS News not Natural Health News; just investigative reporting uncovering what I've suspected and have written about all along in this blog. Hysteria, that's all it is.

Nevertheless, our President Barack Obama showed the country he was leading the charge against the swine flu by getting vaccinated yesterday. Bravo! I applaud his taking charge and diving in--'bout time. But I'm certain it's not necessary, because as I've said from day one--flu is flu is flu is flu. But if you want to follow Barry's lead and get the shot, go ahead, you'll be fine.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

More Educated Less Likely to Get Swine Flu Vaccine

Very interesting information coming out of the swine flu watch today: More educated, higher earners are opting out of the H1N1 vaccine, while less educated, poorer folk are more likely to get the vaccine. Hmm, I wonder why.

According to a recent Thompson Reuters survey of more than 3000 people, almost 50% of people with lower education (nothing more than high school) were very concerned about H1N1, compared with only 29 percent of those with at least a four-year college degree. And 45% of the less-educated said they and their families were likely to vaccinate, while only 36 percent of college-educated people expected to be immunized. Almost half of all respondents said they were unlikely to immunize.

Well hallelujah! This news put my faith back into educated people--they actually do use their smarts sometimes. Let me repeat, hallelujah. I appreciate that so many people see right through this fear campaign being levied against us. The push for mass inoculations is absolutely ludicrous. And it's not just individuals coming to their senses: Today the state of New York suspended its policy that all health workers are to be vaccinated against the H1N1 or risk discipline. Imagine the swine flu hysteria threatening our civil liberties. Geezus!

The hysteria is so widespread that our uber-progressive neighbors to the north are miffed and frustrated that Canadians are also rejecting the swine flu vaccine. According to a similar Canadian poll, Canucks will be avoiding the untried and untested H1N1 vaccine at about 50% themselves. Bravo Canada--you are progressive.

All this in the face of regular flu vaccinations being at their highest level ever at this time of year. Hmmm...you don't say. My regular readers know that last year flu shots were at their lowest levels in the U.S. in years, and flu cases were also way down. Could the swine flu be a marketing maneuver? The ol' bait and switch? Nah...just coincidence, I'm sure. Ha, ha, ha, ha...sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who see the absurdity in health policy and practice.

According to experts, the swine flu has people contemplating the deadly dangers of the regular flu. Oy vey! Listen people: Most of us have already had the swine flu. I've been saying this for months. Listen! Stop freaking out! You've probably had it. I know I've have, and so has my daughter. If you were sicker this year than you can long remember--YOU PROBABLY HAD THE SWINE FLU. It has been confirmed by Centers of Disease Control Director Dr. Thomas Frieden: "Many millions" of Americans have had swine flu so far, he said. No kidding.

Flu is flu is flu, and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Words to live by. Or you can freak out--it's up to you.

Swine Flu Cramps Style for Collegiate Makeout Artists

Say hello to the modern-day chastity belt: it's called the surgical mask. College students are being advised to refrain from kissing, but if they must, they should do it through surgical masks. The Centers of Disease Control (CDC) has released it's 2009-2010 Guidance For Response to Influenza for Institutions of Higher Education during the Academic Year and it's a doozy. So forget the condoms and forget the home pregnancy tests--horny college students go pick up your make-out masks at the Student Health Services building on the double!

The Guidelines have other very useful tips for our Nation's students like, If sick

• Don't go to class
• Don't be around others
• Professors, ignore absenteeism
• Get off campus, go home--and don't take the bus, get a cab
• If you can't leave campus, stay in your room, and have either the bravest student, or the most expendable bring you meals
• Communicate only through e-mail, text and telephone
  
• Also if unable to leave campus, the college can provide you with quarantine with all the other unfortunate lepers
• and many others

Boy, this swine flu's really got the government scared. Some ideas that did not make it into the Guidelines this year but were considered:

• Heavy petting to be done only while wearing catcher's or hockey goalie's gear
• Fornication should only be conducted virtually, through the web
• And any orgy should be conducted singularly, in isolation, although web cam is permissible

So there you have it: Health care as provided by our government. Is it just me or can everybody else not wait for the socialized system to kick in? Woohoo!

Sex Trap

What's old is new again, especially in the world of sex. It seems that we just can't get enough of the good old days. Let's reminisce: Free love, orgies, John Holmes, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Joy of Sex, bath houses--man, that's hot. Oh wait, let's not forget our old friends gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia. No, no, no...we couldn't leave them out now, could we? Don't worry, here they come again.

According to the latest numbers from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), 2007 saw another rise in syphilis cases--the seventh year in a row--driven by homosexual and bisexual men. Chlamydia has reached an all time high, and gonorrhea is still way up. Blacks are disproportionately affected. Although the black population is only 12%, they make up 70% of gonorrhea cases and almost half of chlamydia and syphilis cases. Black women aged 15 to 19 have the highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, and gonorrhea rates for blacks overall were 19 times higher than for whites, the CDC reports.

Untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and ectopic pregnancy in women--unfortunate since both bacterial infections are preventable, and treatable if found early enough.

Syphilis infection is up 81% since 2000. Damn! Sixty five percent of all cases are among gay and bi men. as I reported in this blog back in 2007, many infections are the result of HIV+ men having unprotected sex with other HIV+ men. The idea behind the practice is, "Hey, you're +, I'm +...let's party." But gentlemen, have you forgotten?...the syph? Bad, bad stuff, man.

Here's the bottom line on all the above STDs--condoms are critical. It's that simple. Unless you're in a committed, monogamous relationship (married?), then you better wear the glove, period. Any practice other than that is plain stupid.

Unplanned Flu Shot Study

We’ve got an interesting unplanned study underway in the U.S. this flu season. According to recent reports, only one third of Americans have received a flu shot this year. And based on a survey of 4,000 people, only seventeen percent more are planning on getting one. Nice--a fifty-fifty split.

So what’s the study? Well, public health officials at the U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC) recommend that 85% of the population (261 million people) get vaccinated against the flu to prevent pandemonium. The flu kills 36,000 people and sends 200,000 to the hospital in the United States annually.

If you’ve listened to my podcast on vaccinations (Dr. Nick Show, Episode 8) then you know all about herd immunity. Herd immunity is the protection an entire population receives from a certain number of the people getting vaccinated. This number is roughly 80-90%. So by 261 million Americans receiving the flu vaccine, we should in theory be “protected” against the devastation promised by the flu. Hmmmm….

Well it ain’t happening this year. Less than fifty percent of the population will be getting the vaccine. So what do you think? Death and pestilence to sweep through the nation? I guess we’ll see. That’ll be the study. If we experience mass devastation, then I’ll concede--I’ll stop bagging on the flu vaccine. But it’ll have to be a significant difference. Not the same numbers we see every year. I’m betting they’ll be pretty close to the same.

As I keep saying: it is nearly impossible to develop a flu vaccine that matches the current strains in the wild. They mutate too quickly. The influenza virus is the true Master of Disguises.

But I’m excited to see the upcoming results. Even though I think that if the pandemic doesn’t happen, public health officials will rationalize it in one way or another; they'll never let go of the flu shot fallacy. However, it’ll pretty much prove things to me. Combine it with last year’s flu vaccine debacle (massive illness despite record numbers of people vaccinated), and the flu shot might just be shot.

Jail for Belgians who Reject Vaccine

Just another step in the wrong direction this week. Officials in Belgium report that two sets of parents were given prison sentences for not having their children vaccinated against polio--a mandated inoculation in this western European nation. I believe it's only a matter of time before we see the same punishments meted out in the good ol' US of A.

According to a recent report, the parents were given five month jail sentences and fined $8,000 each couple for violating a mandatory Belgian law that requires all its citizens to vaccinate their children against polio. Wow! That's serious. Apparently in Belgium, you'd better do what Big Brother says...or else. And you thought I was just being alarmist in my previous post.

As it stands, some governments feel that it's a serious public health issue to reject any required vaccination. What's next? Jail terms for cancer patients who reject chemo? The guillotine for families that pull the plug on a brain-dead loved one. Do we really need government to tell us what to do with our own bodies?

What makes this especially scary is that we still don't know the full implications of many drugs (can you say Vioxx or Thalidomide, anyone), let alone every vaccine. Take for instance the Centers of Disease Control's (CDC) latest retraction of its preference for American children to get the quad-combined mumps, measles, rubella (German measles), and varicella (chicken pox*) vaccine after it has learned of an increased risk of seizure in children getting the shot. Oops--we didn't figure on that one. Let's release the irresponsible parents we've jailed. Just a matter of time, people, I'm tellin' ya.

But it won't happen if concerned parents and citizens stay informed (like you guys who read this blog every week!). Keep your eyes and ears open, and demand our right to do with our bodies what we will. Like I always say, there will be plenty of people who opt for the vaccine. Great! They should have it if they want it--that's the advantage of having modern medicine. But to force it upon people who aren't sure is a crime against our liberties. Stay tuned--it ain't over yet.

*Writer's note: Who the hell hasn't had the chicken pox? Probably every adult in this country has caught it, and we're still kickin' it healthy and strong. Sometimes modern public health policy baffles me.

Flu Vaccine Farce

Well, well, well--you heard it here first: The flu vaccine isn't worth all that much. To be fair, the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) is finally fessing up. Yup, you heard right--CDC officials are admitting that more than 50% of the flu strains we are currently seeing in the U.S. are NOT included in this year's flu vaccine. But you knew that, right? You're a regular reader of this blog, god bless ya!

U.S. officials have reported that the number of states reporting widespread flu activity has increased from 11 to 31 in just one week. The severity of flu strains is often measured by the number of children it kills in any given year. This season the number is at six--low by public health standards--but people are still getting sick by the boatloads. Hmmm...weren't flu vaccinations way up this year? Crazy.

Because the composition of the flu vaccine is decided nine months earlier than it is actually made available to the public--an eternity in light of the influenza virus' ability to mutate--it is often impossible to match exactly the strains that might make their appearance on any given year. To add insult to injury, one influenza expert has disclosed that we are now even seeing some strains developing resistance to Tamiflu, a popular anti-viral used frequently to fight the symptoms of the flu (which is supposed to be prevented through the vaccine--anybody else see a glitch in this reasoning?). According to Dr. Joe Bresee of the CDC's influenza division, "a less-than-ideal virus match between the viruses in the vaccine and those circulating viruses can reduce vaccine effectiveness." OK, thank you; finally, some sense. So why bother?

I know a lot of people who are battling the flu right now. Hang in there; you'll get better. And then you'll develop your own immunity, which will strengthen your system. Of course, that is until next year, when a new strain will then come around and we'll get to do it all over again. Boy, ain't health fun?

Sham of the Century

Pssst. Hey Buddy. Wanna buy a bridge? How about a flu shot? Yeah?...thought so sucker.

Alright, alright, maybe I'm being a little hard--most people don't know. They only know what the authorities tell them.

Get your annual flu shot. Prevent the flu. Save your life. Isn't that the mantra?

Recent reports show that the distribution of flu shots in the U.S. this year is at 103 million--an all time high. Well, I've got some bad news for ya--the flu shot is a scam. No, no--it's not a conspiracy; your doctor really believes in it. And a couple hundred bucks a shot doesn't hurt the believing process, either.

So how is it a scam? First off, it's not 100% protection. That is, you can get a flu shot, and...still get the flu. How's that? Well, according to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), "It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. In the meantime, you are still at risk for getting the flu (emphasis mine)." Furthermore, you can still get the flu due to the variability in flu strains--that is, the current flu vaccine protects (however questionably) against a particular strain, not all of them (also from the CDC; read here). And your protection also depends on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine (more on this in a second).

Second, the flu virus is one of the most highly mutating organisms there is, so strains change all the time. That's why you have to get a new shot every year (and don't forget, a couple hundred bucks a shot also helps with this category). The bottom line is this: you don't know which flu strain you'll encounter, and even if it's "this year's strain", you still don't have total protection.

Lastly (and this is my favorite one), even though the flu shot is an inactivated virus (i.e. it has been killed), it still has potential side effects, and they are:

• Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
• Fever (low grade)
• Aches

And if you use the spray mist:

• runny nose
• headache
• sore throat
• cough

And the mist in children:

• runny nose
• wheezing
• headache
• vomiting
• muscle aches
• fever

Call me crazy, but...ain't that the flu?

So let me put this into perspective: You go to your doctor every year and pay good money for a vaccine that doesn't work all that well, only protects you from a small faction of microorganisms that can cause the flu, and which actually causes flu-like symptoms. Uh...can I ask a question? WHY NOT JUST GET THE DAMN FLU?!?!

I know, I know, the authorities tell us that it's for the protection of the elderly, the immunocompromised, and children. However, in the same breath they tell us that the effectiveness of the vaccine is age dependent; and I highly doubt that 20 to 60-year-olds are at the highest risk.

All I can say is this: I've never had a flu shot; I've had the flu plenty of times; I've had the runs, fever, and body aches; and I didn't want to do anything. So I drank lots of water, and I slept a bunch. I got better, and I developed natural immunity--so, ultimately, I got stronger. Hey, listen--if you feel safer with a flu shot, then go ahead. And when you're ready, I've got an excellent multi-level marketing business opportunity for you...and a bridge.

If you want to read more on this sham, here is an excellent piece published in the British Medical Journal.

And comments to that piece from skeptical MDs in the U.K. (read this because this is from the guys who are administering the shots, so perhaps they have some insights you and I do not have--please scroll down to read the comments).