BCG vaccine showing promise for type 1 diabetes — UPDATED
The BCG vaccine, usually used to prevent tuberculosis, will be starting a new phase 2 clinical trial to treat diabetes in children.
Baby food and autism — do the lawsuits and internet claims have merit?
A new claim being pushed by lawyers is that baby food is linked to autism. The science is not clear on whether there is a link.
The value of childhood vaccines — saving lives and money
Research shows that childhood vaccines have saved over 31,000 lives of children from 2017 to 2019. Science says vaccines save lives.
Does sugar cause hyperactive children? Science says nope
There is an old myth that when children consume a lot of sugar it causes them to be hyperactive. Scientific evidence does not support this.
Pediatric flu-related deaths — highest since before COVID pandemic
New information from the CDC show that pediatric flu deaths are the highest since the start of the pandemic.
New pediatric diabetes cases spiked during COVID-19 pandemic
I have written other articles about the link between COVID-19 and diabetes, and now a new study has been published that shows an increase in new diagnoses of pediatric type 1 diabetes at one institution. Although it only included data… Read More »New pediatric diabetes cases spiked during COVID-19 pandemic
COVID vaccine safety and effectiveness for 5-11-year-olds
On 30 December 2021, the Centers for Disease Protection and Control (CDC) released two studies on COVID-19 vaccine safety for 5-11-year-olds that showed that there were few serious safety issues and showed that the vaccines prevented serious illness and hospitalization.
These two studies provide strong evidence for COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness for children and should provide confidence for parents to make sure their children get the vaccine.
This post will examine these peer-reviewed articles and pull out the key data for the reader.
Read More »COVID vaccine safety and effectiveness for 5-11-year-olds
Pfizer COVID pediatric vaccine will require a third dose during clinical trials
On 17 December 2021, Pfizer stated that trials for its pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 2 to 5 show that it did not provide the expected immunity. Therefore, it is adding a third dose to the clinical trial, and… Read More »Pfizer COVID pediatric vaccine will require a third dose during clinical trials
Sexual promiscuity and the HPV vaccine – debunking an ignorant myth
There is a myth pushed by the anti-vaccine religion that the HPV vaccine leads to sexual promiscuity. I’ve debunked this fable previously, using peer-reviewed research, but you know the anti-vaccine zombie tropes – they never really die, and they always come back to life.
Let’s look at a couple of new studies that, once again, debunk the myth that sexual promiscuity is linked to the HPV vaccine. There is no link. Period. Full stop.
Read More »Sexual promiscuity and the HPV vaccine – debunking an ignorant myth
Vaccine adverse events are rare – vast benefits outweigh small risks
Like all medical procedures, devices, and pharmaceuticals, vaccines are not perfect – there are rare vaccine adverse events. What matters is that the benefits, not only medically but also economically, outweigh any risks. As far ask I know, no perfect medical procedures, devices or pharmaceuticals, none, that are perfectly safe or perfectly effective. Sometimes the ratio is small. For example, there are chemotherapy drugs that only add a few months to a patient’s life, usually with substantial side effects to the medication.
Yet, if you ask a patient whether it was worth it, to spend just a few extra months with their children and loved ones, the value becomes nearly incalculable. But mostly, the FDA and other regulatory agencies demand that new products and procedures must meet or exceed the safety, and meet or exceed the financial and health benefits of currently acceptable versions. Actually, the FDA examines a lot more than that. They check the packaging, shelf life, instructions, manufacturing practices, and so much more, it would take a book to explain it (and there probably are several). It may not be a perfect process, but it’s better than what we had 100 years ago, and it continues to improve every single day. People tend towards a form of confirmation bias where they remember where a drug may or may not have been found to be dangerous (best example is Vioxx).
But they forget about the millions of medications and devices that save lives or measurably improve the standard of living. Read More »Vaccine adverse events are rare – vast benefits outweigh small risks