Should you get a flu vaccination?

Should you get a flu #vaccination? Yes, but remember #flu vaccines aren’t perfect. 

·     The overall estimated effectiveness of 2018-19 seasonal influenza #vaccine was 47%. This estimate was based on data from more than three thousand children and adults with acute respiratory illness during November 23, 2018–February 2, 2019, [Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report/ February 15, 2019 / 68(6);135–139]. 

·      Flu vaccines for 2019-20 have been updated to better match flu virus expected to be circulating in the U.S.  

·      The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends “high dose” shots for those older than sixty-five. A large clinical trial indicated that a “high-dose “vaccine was 24.2% more effective in preventing flu in adults 65 years of age than a standard-dose vaccine (New England Journal of Medicine 2014; 371:635-645). Other trials show the “high dose” vaccine reduced hospitalizations form flu among those older than sixty-five.

Do flu vaccine recommendations sound like mumbo-jumbo to you? They sounded even more confusing to the residents of a small community in The Flu Is Coming. In this #thriller, a new type of flu kills nearly half of the residents in an upscale, gated community in less than a week. A quarantine makes those who survive virtual prisoners in their homes. The Centers for Disease Control (#CDC) recruits epidemiologist Sara Almquist to find ways to limit the spread of the epidemic. As she pries into the residents’ lives, she finds promising scientific clues but unfortunately learns too much about several of them and violence ensues.

This novel is an exciting read. The Flu Is Coming a finalist for a New Mexico/Arizona Book Award. Reading this novel is also a way to learn a bit about the development of flu vaccines. Then you’ll understand better the importance and limitations of vaccines. You could say this novel is a medical mystery within a thriller.

Book and Kindle at:

https://www.amazon.com/Flu-Coming-Science-Traveler/dp/0578423251

Vote and other things to do in November

 

I always think November is a transition month - from fall to the winter holidays. However, there are some important things to do in November.

1. Vote

Everyone should vote. If you hate the lines, you can vote early in a number of states.

2. Update your vaccinations, including for flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests adults, get these vaccinations:

A flu shot every year. If you want an incentive for getting a flu shot, read my novel Coming Flu. It’s an extreme example, but will you make you think.

A booster shot for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (commonly called whooping cough) every ten years.

Two doses of vaccine against chickenpox sometime as an adult 

One vaccine shot against shingles sometime after sixty.

 If you have questions or are immunosuppressed, check with you health care provider. You may want to visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

3. Be thankful 

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday - quiet, no presents to buy, and a chance to make favorite recipes. Here’s how I add zip to my Thanksgiving stuffing. The limiting factor is me – when I get tired of chopping.

Zip for Your Thanksgiving Stuffing

 Add any or all of these to your traditional bread stuffing:

1/2 -1 cup of grated carrots

1 cup of sauted sliced mushrooms

4-8 ounces of fried ground sausage

1 cup of chopped, sauted onion

1 cup of chopped celery (If you like, saute the celery with the mushrooms, sausage, and/or onions before adding to your bread crumb mixture.)

         1/2 cup of chopped parsley or cilantro

How does this relate to my bugs?

Two ways. I’m thankful for my dog Bug. And it bugs me so many Americans can’t find time to vote, get vaccinated, or be thankful.

JL Greger

Which neighbor would you fear more: a friendly neighbor infected with a new flu virus or a not-so-friendly neighbor who runs drugs?

COMING FLU will challenge you to rethink your priorities.