Let's talk about a common response to immunization: the vagal response. It's more than just fainting. Causes The vagal response involves your central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and cardiovascular system. When the reflex is triggered it causes an abrupt drop in blood pressure and a sudden reduction in heart rate. The blood vessels in your legs may widen, causing blood to pool in your legs. This can further drop your blood pressure. All of these changes can result in less blood flowing to your brain and trigger sensations that make you feel as if you might faint. At its worst, t ..read more

U.S. children whose health insurance is provided through Medicaid receive free vaccines, purchased by the Centers for Disease Control from vaccine manufacturers and distributed by the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program. They are identical in every way to vaccines purchased by medical practices for private-pay patients.  See here for the price list indicating that all vaccines purchased and distributed by VFC are brand-name vaccines.  Yet, there's a myth that just won't die -- that there are two or more tiers of vaccines, from the "dirty" vaccines for the poor to the super-duper vacc ..read more

This alarming image has been circulating in emails and in Facebook Groups. Let's take a look I will start with the left column, continue with the center column, and finish with the right column. Chicken Protein -- It turns out that "chicken protein" is different than "chicken egg protein". You can be allergic to chicken egg protein, and be able to consume chicken meat, or be exposed to chicken feathers, and have no allergic response.  https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(97)70154-4/pdf Chicken meat proteins are not in any vaccine. Also see item #6 https://www.vaccinesafety.edu ..read more

Have you seen this meme being passed around? I decided to go through each of the named ingredients,  and see if they are in any vaccine, let alone the flu vaccine. I'm also going to keep score: how many of the 24 items are actually in flu vaccines? Reminder: You may know this, but: A paper clip weighs about 1 gram. Most vaccines are 0.5 milliliters (ml) or approximately 10 drops of water mg = milligram, 1/1,000 of a gram mcg = microgram, 1/1,000,000 of a gram ng = nanogram, 1/1,000,000,000 of a gram Mercury (thimerosal) -- Thimerosal is not mercury, and mercury is not thimerosal. The ..read more

Source: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields_(1921)/illustrated In Flanders Field In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders field ..read more

Republican Senators Who Have Refused to Congratulate Biden/Harris Name, state, year current term expires Richard Shelby, Alabama, 2022 Tommy Tubervielle, Alabama, 2026 Dan Sullivan, Alaska, 2026 John Boozman, Arkansas, 2022 Tom Cotton, Arkansas, 2026 Marco Rubio, Florida, 2022 Rick Scott, Florida, 2024 David Purdue, Georgia, 2020 (runoff election January 5, 2021) Kelly Loeffler, Georgia, 2020 (runoff election January 5, 2021) Mike Crapo, Idaho, 2022 Jim Risch, Idaho, 2026 Todd Young, Indiana, 2022 Mike Braun, Indiana, 2024 Chuck Grassley, Iowa, 2022 Joni Ernst, Iowa, 2026 Roger Marshall, Kan ..read more

I saw this image on Twitter and was both moved and charmed People familiar with Norman Rockwell's political paintings will recognize the silhouette from "The Problem We All Live With" The painting was Rockwell's commentary on Ruby Bridges, as a child of six, taking on the enormous weight of integrating the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960 Something I learned: Ruby Bridges was still in high school when Kamala Harris herself entered kindergarten.Think of that. The image of Kamala Harris with Ruby Bridges as her shadow was made by an artist who I think is in ..read more

I want to start off by stating the obvious. There is not yet a single vaccine approved for preventing COVID-19. There may not be any COVID-19 vaccines in commercial production yet, and it takes months to produce even an approved vaccine.  That's an example of "prebunking": "research that shows it can be more effective to give people information about how to identify conspiracy theories or misinformation before they are exposed to it. This is a fantastic idea, and I love the fact that this is being done in coordination with research to show if it is effective." In this COVID-19 epidemic, w ..read more

Stolen from my e-friend Peter Hotez Wishing everyone a happy healthy new year.  May you and your family receive safe vaccinations in the coming year, and obtain virus neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses.  Shanah Tovah ... a prayer from the Rabbi Rachel Barenblat: "I'm ready to let go of my mistakes. Help me release myself from the ways I've missed the mark, lift my troubles off my shoulders. Help me to know that last year is over, washed away like crumbs in a current. Open my heart to blessing and gratitude. Renew my soul as the dew renews the grasses." Source: https://www ..read more

This conversation with Johan Bester, director of bioethics for UNLV’s School of Medicine, got me to thinking about me policing the terms I use. Is there a chance that those vehemently opposed to vaccinations will strengthen their resolve? I would expect that there are some parents who would double down on their vaccine refusal, and become more entrenched in their opposition to childhood vaccines during the pandemic. The world, unfortunately, has become more polarized in recent years. As the psychologist Jonathan Haidt pointed out, people often make up their minds about controversial issues ba ..read more