The Medical Thread: Vaccine Search / Staying Healthy / Treatments Etc

[once_upon]

I didn't think I was vaccinated for polio in the 80s, but I'm honestly not totally sure.

You need to ask your mom. Polio vaccines are a 4 shot series - 2mo, 4 mo, between 6 mo-18 mo, and final one between 4 and 6 years of age.

My kids were 80's kids and got theirs - it was just part of routine vaccinations in our pediatricians practice

 

[MacMadame]

My 90s kids got theirs too.

 

[million$momma]

Canada does.

It’s part of the DTap-IPV-HIB series at 2-4-6 and 18 months.

And again as part of the TDap-IPV immunization at 4-6 years.

IPV = polio

Check your kid’s immunization records to see if IPV is there.

It gets forgotten as people more easily remember they got the Diptheria-Tetanus and Pertussis (whooping cough) parts of the vaccine.

OK- yup IPV is tacked on the end! Canada just doesn't do OPV vaccines.

 

[once_upon]

OK- yup IPV is tacked on the end! Canada just doesn't do OPV vaccines.

OPV stopped being used in the early '80's.

I will never forget the baby on my pediatric unit that died of polio, given the OPV. She had an unknown immune disorder.

 

[ballettmaus]

In Germany, they give boosters for basically everything. If I interpret my vaccine passport correctly, I got a booster of the polio, diphteria and tetanus combination vaccine and hepatitis A&B vaccine after around every 10 years and the measles, mumps, rubella combination vaccines after 20 years.

 

[Deleted member 221]

Smoking, vaping linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19 complications, including death

People who reported smoking or vaping prior to their hospitalization for COVID-19 were more likely than their counterparts who did not smoke or vape to experience severe complications, including death, from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings are from a new study based on data from the...

www.eurekalert.org

Yet another study showing how much worse smoking made the C19 pandemic.

The study findings indicate smoking or vaping are associated with more severe COVID-19 independent of age, sex, race or medical history:

• People who reported smoking were 45% more likely to die and 39% more likely to receive mechanical ventilation when compared with those who did not smoke.
• Although the excessive risk due to smoking was independent of medical history and medication use, smoking was a stronger risk factor for death in people between 18-59 years of age and those who were white or had obesity.

If we're really serious about preparing for the next pandemic, it's time to take more serious measures leading up to a full ban on smoking (e.g., New Zealand's approach that will prevent young people from ever legally buying cigarettes in their lives), and to start addressing obesity in a meaningful way through a combination of carrots and sticks, e.g., fitness discounts but also fat taxes.

 

[MacMadame]

to start addressing obesity in a meaningful way through a combination of carrots and sticks, e.g., fitness discounts but also fat taxes.

Except the data shows that those things don't work. I know you think obesity is a matter of making bad choices and a lack of willpower but there is ample evidence that it is a complex problem with many causes and few solutions. It's kind of like addiction in that way -- most (all?) addiction programs have an abysmal success rate just like all diet programs do. And just like some people can just decide to stop abusing drugs/alcohol, some people can just decide to lose weight, lose it and go on with life while most get into a cycle of yo-yo dieting where the dieting actually causes their body to try to put on weight.

I think we need to address the systematic failures that made this pandemic worse including confusing and sometimes contradictory messaging and a failure to invoke the war powers act or keep up our emergency stock. Those are necessary no matter what happens with individuals.

Then we can look at the prevention of some of the things that made getting covid worse. The anti-smoking people are smart in that they are very much concentrating on preventing people from getting addicted in the first place. Obesity experts should take some of their wins as examples. Preventing obesity requires a combination of education and societal change -- which we all know isn't that easy to implement. But revamping PE in school to emphasize developing an active lifestyle, making after-school athletics more accessible even to people who are never going to be great at sports, and teaching children about proper nutrition in a sensible way would all help.

 

[On My Own]

...What's a "fat tax"? How would one enforce it?

 

[AJ Skatefan]

Smoking, vaping linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19 complications, including death

People who reported smoking or vaping prior to their hospitalization for COVID-19 were more likely than their counterparts who did not smoke or vape to experience severe complications, including death, from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings are from a new study based on data from the...

www.eurekalert.org

Yet another study showing how much worse smoking made the C19 pandemic.



If we're really serious about preparing for the next pandemic, it's time to take more serious measures leading up to a full ban on smoking (e.g., New Zealand's approach that will prevent young people from ever legally buying cigarettes in their lives), and to start addressing obesity in a meaningful way through a combination of carrots and sticks, e.g., fitness discounts but also fat taxes.

But Freedom…..

 

[manhn]

...What's a "fat tax"? How would one enforce it?

For example, an added fee on top of chips, pop, etc. I think some of US cities have that? Not saying good or bad, but it doesn't help that "healthy foods" are often unavailable to poorer communities due to price and/or distance.

American companies also include the calorie info in their menus. People always say that it does not matter, but I look at that info ALL OF THE TIME when I go to some big restaurant chain in the US.

Sometimes, technology can help. I think those step watches have caused more people to be more active than they normally would. If there's ever a wearable tech that counts every little calorie I ingest, I would buy it pronto.

I would love my government to pay for my gym membership. But I think having safe and clean parks, beaches, greenspace would make more people active. During the week, I run around my big chain supermarket, but I don't think most people would find that particularly inspiring to move around.

 

[On My Own]

I lived in the US, I'm not sure what you mean by healthy foods are expensive? Admittedly I was a student, and did rely on junk (which was certainly cheap), but when I wanted to cook, vegetables and fruit were available for reasonable prices? Is it something about the work culture that prevents Americans from cooking healthy food?

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Smoking, vaping linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19 complications, including death

People who reported smoking or vaping prior to their hospitalization for COVID-19 were more likely than their counterparts who did not smoke or vape to experience severe complications, including death, from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings are from a new study based on data from the...

www.eurekalert.org

Yet another study showing how much worse smoking made the C19 pandemic.



If we're really serious about preparing for the next pandemic, it's time to take more serious measures leading up to a full ban on smoking (e.g., New Zealand's approach that will prevent young people from ever legally buying cigarettes in their lives), and to start addressing obesity in a meaningful way through a combination of carrots and sticks, e.g., fitness discounts but also fat taxes.

I take it that you aren't a "chubby chaser".

 

[canbelto]

I lived in the US, I'm not sure what you mean by healthy foods are expensive? Admittedly I was a student, and did rely on junk (which was certainly cheap), but when I wanted to cook, vegetables and fruit were available for reasonable prices? Is it something about the work culture that prevents Americans from cooking healthy food?

Depending on where you live, healthy food might not be easily available. There's "food deserts" i n the US without a close supermarket that sells fresh food. I work in an area of the Bronx where the only food places within walking distance are bodegas and fast food chains.

 

[Deleted member 221]

But Freedom…..

When there's legislation taking away the government's power to enforce lockdowns, mask mandates, school closures, and all the other curtailments that came with covid, then I'll care about people's freedom to smoke or be as fat as they want.

Allowing smoking and obesity (both of which went up during the pandemic) to flourish today just means we'll be locked down again much more easily at some point in the future.

 

[AJ Skatefan]

When there's legislation taking away the government's power to enforce lockdowns, mask mandates, school closures, and all the other curtailments that came with covid, then I'll care about people's freedom to smoke or be as fat as they want.

Allowing smoking and obesity (both of which went up during the pandemic) to flourish today just means we'll be locked down again much more easily at some point in the future.

You’re contradicting yourself. You want government to ban cigarettes and unhealthy food but not to push masks, vaccinations, or lockdowns. I thought the less government interference the better?

 

[once_upon]

I live in the Midwest US, affluent, with a car that allows me to drive to grocery stores. Even so access to fresh fruits, fresh vegetables is somewhat limited. Certainly access to cheap veggies and fruits.

But any week, I can find pasta on sale for 10/$10, or similar items. I can go to the day old bakery and buy bread cheaply

Fruit/veggies not so much. Even higher at farmer's markets

 

[skategal]

What gets me going is when it’s 79 cents to buy a soda pop as big as your head (sometimes 2 Litres) but it’s almost impossible to buy a single serving of milk.

And if you get a 2 Litre of milk it costs WAY more than 79 cents.

 

[sk8pics]

Got my rapid PCR test today. Negative. Looks like I traveled to and from Albuquerque and spent a week with 300 other people and did not get sick.

 

[made_in_canada]

My kids were vaccinated today There were a lot of happy parents and I think it rubbed off on the kids. All the kids were playing and talking and happy while we waited for the 15 minutes post vaccination before we left. Little mic asked if we could come back tomorrow

 

[myhoneyhoney]

Boy #2 may go to Universal Studios late October. We’re trying to determine if he should get his 2nd booster 2 weeks before the trip. My Dr advised we get our 2nd boosters early November, in time for the Holidays. Maybe he’ll be ok getting it a month early?

 

[once_upon]

I got the second booster in April, we just returned 14 days ago from a European vacation. Knock on wood, neither of us got sick. I did home tests when we got back, 5 days post return and 10 days post return. All negative.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

I got the second booster in April, we just returned 14 days ago from a European vacation. Knock on wood, neither of us got sick. I did home tests when we got back, 5 days post return and 10 days post return. All negative.

That’s wonderful!

One of my employees returned from her Alaska cruise with the crud a few weeks ago. Another is on quarantine right now, caught it at her daughter’s wedding last weekend. Both of them got their 2nd boosters a few months ago. Thankfully they’re doing well, very light symptoms.

 

[On My Own]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1555116632556638208

 

[clairecloutier]

A long Twitter thread sharing some results of a study about long Covid and other aspects of Covid:

https://twitter.com/VirusesImmunity/status/1557391752889307138

It's pretty technical, too much so for me as a medical layperson to take in at a quick glance, but looks interesting. Among other things, the study seems to indicate that they are quantifiable measures of what consistutes long Covid (meaning that it's not just "in people's heads".)

It states at the end that, according to this study anyway, "Low cortisol levels were the strongest predictor for both defining long Covid status and predicting disease severity."

This is slightly reassuring, as a recent blood test showed I had rather high cortisol levels (which presents other problems, but maybe might be benign in this instance??).

 

[Judy]

...What's a "fat tax"? How would one enforce it?

I just saw this now .. I’m kinda dying at the thought of it 😂.

 

[once_upon]

What's the latest on a 3rd booster? My pharmacy sent me a "your recinds show you may be eligible for a booster, sign up here (link)"

I'm searching but I don't she a definitive yes or no for 5th shot.

 

[once_upon]

A doctor on Twitter gave me an answer of sorts. On Thursday CDC vaccine advisors are projected to vote on updated BA5 varient boosters, with doses being available soon.

He's waiting for that one, so am I

 

[sk8pics]

I plan on discussing it with my PCP before getting another shot. I did hear on the news that the newest formulation is expected to give better immunity against omicron…. I was thinking of asking him if he can get me tested to see if I’ve had it or not, and that might influence at least the timing of the decision.

 

[MacMadame]

I want to get the new omicron-flavored shot when I get my flu shot. I hope it's ready then!

 

[once_upon]

"US FDA authorizes Pfizer and Moderna's updated COVID-19 boosters targeting omicron subvariants" https://twitter.com/i/events/1564979203803471873?t=ZahokuwK5vujrMlPEgxDjA&s=09

I need to read more, but definitely am on board