Fall marathon season also happens to coincide with the release of the seasonal flu vaccine. While offices, pharmacies and schools around the country are offering up the vaccine, many runners, concerned about whether the shot will negatively impact their performance, are questioning whether they should join the masses and line up for the shot.

I understand the concern. I shied away from the vaccine in the week leading up to running a marathon because I worried that a sore arm wouldn't be conducive to a strong running performance. But I've heard from runners who have also avoided the vaccine over fears that it might leave them feeling sluggish, tired or sick.

Many a child has been temporarily traumatized by the sight of a shot when vaccine time arrives, and although products like FluMist are safe for adults, kids are still subject to those flu shots when the time comes.

A better, under-the-tongue alternative may be coming your way soon, though. Korean research on mice has determined that a flu vaccine administered under the tongue worked great without the need for a needle prick (and accompanying emotional torture for many kids).

Will most vaccines be delivered without breaking the skin in the near future? It seems that there are always drawbacks to non-shot vaccines, but anything in medicine should be possible now that the human genome has been decoded.

Source

After considering all angles (yeah, right) New Jersey said this past Friday that it would require flu shots for all preschool-age children. Nothing like choice for parents, huh?

New Jersey becomes the first state to mandate flu shots for young kids, which does give those youngsters with still-developing immune systems protection from the flu. Or does it?

Required vaccinations have been fiercely debated from natural health enthusiasts who believe a proper diet and supplementation are the best tools to ward off common virus infections.

Do you agree with New Jersey's new decision?

Source

The next time you pull of those shoes and get those bags opened for inspection at the local airport, you might want to think about getting a flu shot right there as well.

A score of U.S. airports are now offering flu shots at check-in kiosks, which is nothing new this time of year. But, in the past, these have been performed in airport clinics -- not at the curbside (if you will). Why? Airport customers don't want to run the risk of missing those flights.

Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Newark are offering "airside" flu shots since the time estimation for a flu shot by each passenger is now pretty easy to come by.

Source

It appears that a much stronger consumer warning label will come to the Tamiflu flu vaccine drug. The FDA said this week that the most widely used flu drug in the world needs some beefing up as it applies to warning consumers about possible side effects.

In certain instances, psychiatric problems have been witnessed in some Tamiflu patients. The label on Roche's Tamiflu product already alludes to delirium and self-injury. Apparently, if you take Tamiflu, you might drive yourself off a cliff.

What is it with these bizarre side effects that seem to be a component of every pharmaceutical drug? As always, the best way to stay flu-free is to eat and exercise right and get your immune system in perfect working order. Another biggie -- wash your hands several times a day.

Source

A federal advisory panel suggested this week that kids under five years of age (as young as two) can now be given nasal spray flu vaccines. Previously, the recommended age for this type of vaccine included kids only above age five.

FluMist, the most popular nasal flu vaccine, was found to be safe and effective in children as young as two years old, according to several recent studies.

As such, the FDA approved its use in kids aged two to five in September to ensure as many people as possible had access to vaccinations against the latest wave of the flu that is expected sometime at the start of next year, possibly into February.

Source

Flu shots may not be that effective (if at all) for those over 65, a new piece of research has concluded. In fact, the risk of death related to flu complications in this age group is, according to researchers, 'greatly exaggerated.'

How is this possible? Well, it all comes down to measurements and process problems with data collection, it appears. The researchers noted that the noticed exaggeration could be the result of "frailty selection bias". This means that some elderly folks are vaccinated more often than others (healthy versus non-healthy).

Also, death in this age group can be lopped into a huge bucket, without specific, clinical trail endpoints. Data rules all, I guess. You have to wonder how many studies are somewhat invalid just based on the incompetence of the data collection and measurement systems alone?

Source

I've had influenza exactly one time as an adult. It knocked me completely on my you-know-what for two solid weeks, just in time for Christmas and for my (then) fiance (now husband) to propose. It was so bad that I haven't missed a flu shot since, nor do I plan to anytime in the near future!

Vaccinations can be a controversial issue, especially flu shots, which aren't mandated for school attendance. But recent estimates done by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices say that flu shots reduce the number of times children are hospitalized or seen by a doctor for the flu. Not only do flu shots help to prevent flu infections, they also reduce the likelihood of secondary infections sometimes seen in children who have the flu. And, explain health experts, there's also the protection of "herd immunity." When kids are protected, fewer get sick, so there isn't as much flu bug going around.

Keep in mind that flu shots only protect against influenza, a primarily respiratory virus. The stomach "flu" is not the same as influenza and can not be prevented by getting a flu shot. If you choose to get flu shots for some or all of your family members, keep in mind that October and November are the best times to be vaccinated.

Source

The Partnership for Prevention recently released findings that outlined five preventative health services and actions that could save over 100,000 lives a year, a study that was partially funded by the CDC. The services include:

• taking one low-dose aspirin every day,: 45,000 lives per year
• advising smokers to quit, and offering treatment options to do so: 42,000 lives per year
• regular screening for colorectal cancer for those 50 and over: 14,000 lives per year
• getting a regular flu shot: 12,000 per year
• regular breast cancer screenings for women over 40: 4,000 lives per year

The next step is funding for programs that will educate the public and to reach those who fall into the gaps. For instance, the study found that Hispanic smokers are over 50% less likely to get help quitting and that Asian Americans are less likely than other groups to get preventative health screenings or take aspirin.

You don't have to wait for program to develop to take action. Take the list with you the next time you visit your doctor and make sure you're protecting your health to the fullest!

Source

In order to be properly prepared for the upcoming flu season, many of the flu vaccine makers will be making available a record 132 million vaccine doses ready for the 2007-2008 flu season.

That is quite a few doses indeed. U.S. government officials state that 200 million Americans should receive flu vaccinations every year, although it's unclear how that number is being arrived at.

Currently, there are four global companies that will be supplying the 132 million doses, although an Australian company may be added as a fifth company. They are: Sanofi Pasteur, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and MedImmune Vaccines.

Source

Before taking that Tamiflu anti-flu product soon, be advised that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suggested adding a new precaution to the label of the Tamiflu flu-fighting drug in light of reports of psychiatric problems in patients who take it.

Certain documents were made public by the FDA today regarding Tamiflu, and the FDA staff that made this news public stated "It is still unclear whether these neuropsychiatric events are drug-related only, disease manifestation alone, or a combination of drug-disease expression."

FDA reviewers stated that 103 reports of delirium, suicidal behavior and other mental problems from August 2005 to July 2006 had been connected with Tamiflu -- and three of those cases were fatal. Oddly nearly all of the cases -- 95 out of 103 - came from Japan.

Source

When it comes to the obvious results and the true results, there are sometimes large differences. People act in different ways to the same set of circumstances based on the presentation of those circumstances, so it stands clearly that some Americans say that they would indeed stay at home to keep from spreading a super-strain of flu.

But on a flip side once more in-depth probing has been completed shows that 25% of U.S. adults says there is no one to care for them at home if they got sick -- which stands at the crossroads of whether the initial answers -- that they would stay at home if the flu was caught -- were really true.

An additional 25% said that they could not afford to miss work for even a week, which I find unbelievable. A person's healthy is the #1 priority always, something that many employers are not making abundantly clear apparently. Sick employees makes for more sick employees (most likely) plus lost productivity and many other things. Are employees really that scared of missing an unscheduled week of work? Wow -- talk about a sad state of employee-employer affairs.

Source