In the midst of the marches against gun violence, the Boston Globe special section pointed out the 78% of Americans don’t own guns, but 3% of Americans own over half of all guns. We do some arithmetic with those numbers.
Boostrix is a new TdaP vaccine that has been approved for patients over 65 for protection against whooping cough. It’s another tool in the vaccine armamentarium.
Modest use of marijuana or alcohol is unlikely to be physically harmful, unlike heavy use. Teenagers should not use either. The recreational marijuana statute heightens the concern about how to protect teenagers from marijuana.
We will have Shingrix vaccine as of the end of March. It is highly effective. The cost is $175 for each of two shots. Insurance coverage not yet clear. You want to get this immunization this year.
Fish oil supplements do not prevent damage or death from heart disease or strokes, according to a new meta-analysis in JAMA Cardiology. But salmon is tasty.
This continues to be the worst influenza season in at least a decade. There is also a prevalent non-influenza rhinovirus infection that produces severe cough for two weeks. Here’s an update on our miseries.
Stairs at home can be dangerous and are a frequent source of significant injury.
Shingrix is a new highly effective vaccine for shingles (herpes zoster) infections that has been approved by the FDA and will be available early in 2018. We plan to offer it to everyone over age 50, including those of you who have had Zostavax or had the shingles infection. Shingles is chicken-pox revisited.
Influenza is already here in the states, and will become prevalent this month, much earlier than typical. The vaccines we have are moderately effective, less than ideal, but still worthwhile. Come in to get your shot if you haven’t yet.
The Republican-passed American Health Care Act reintroduces medical underwriting and preexisting conditions into health care. It will take us back to the dark ages of health care that were even worse than you remember now.