Government-Fueled Vaccine Skepticism (radio post transcript)

Hello everyone, Dr. Chuma here for another health segment.

What is happening in our decimated and revamped Health and Human Services Department is so important that I wanted to provide an update.

Robert Kennedy is a Harvard-educated lawyer but has no medical or science education or background whatsoever. Despite his lack of credentials, President Trump picked him to run the Department of Health and Human Services. A few months ago, he fired the previous 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice, and replaced them with only 8 new members, all of whom are vaccine deniers or skeptics. Kennedy himself is a vaccine skeptic. Most of these new members had no experience in infectious diseases or vaccine science and 1 member dropped out before the first meeting even occurred, leaving only 7.

The committee first met 2 weeks ago and came up with some very controversial announcements:

1. They advised not to take flu vaccines which contain thimerosal.
2. They announced 2 new committees looking at:
   1. The effects of the pediatric vaccine schedule on children’ s health.
   2. The use of 2 specific childhood vaccines, the first being against hepatitis B, typically given at birth, and the MMRV, the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine.
3. Lastly, they announced that the Covid vaccine would no longer be recommended for young kids and pregnant women.
   

These announcements are unfortunate because we are still in the midst of a measles outbreak. We’ve already surpassed the last outbreak 22 years ago, and we are not even half way throughout the year. So far, there have been 3 deaths and 162 hospitalizations. 40 states are involved, not just Texas. 

This outbreak is occurring for one reason only. Vaccine skepticism, paranoia and ignorance. 96% of those afflicted in the measles outbreak so far were not vaccinated. The MMR vaccine is 98% effective by the way. This skepticism is occurring worldwide, but is most widespread in the US and started when autism was falsely attributed to vaccines. This is patently untrue and there is no link. The origins of this myth came from the falsified data published by discredited British doctor Andrew Wakefield who received money from groups trying to link vaccines to autism. There is no link between any vaccine or vaccine component and autism.

Kennedys and the HHSs announcements will only fuel this problem by creating more doubt. He also promotes completely unproven and in fact dangerous other practices. There has already been a dramatic increase in vitamin A toxicity in Texas emergency rooms as a result of Kennedy’s claim that Vitamin A is an alternative treatment for measles. Not only scientifically unproven but dangerous and unethical advice.

Most people don’t know anything about thimerosal other than some web influencer or uninformed acquaintance told them that it was a form of mercury and was dangerous.

Thimerosal is a preservative used to prevent harmful microbial growth in vaccines.  It contains ethyl mercury. Although it sounds the same as methyl mercury which is toxic, they are processed by the body in very different ways. Thimerosal is not dangerous at all to humans. Decades of studies have shown this. Can you be allergic to it? Of course. But plenty of people are allergic to strawberries and we haven’t banished them from supermarkets!

It is completely irrelevant anyway since thimerosal was removed from almost all vaccines more than 20 years ago, despite no evidence that it was harmful. It is still used as a preservative in some multi-dose formulations of the flu vaccine, but most people get single dose vaccines anyway.

Despite all the evidence proving its safety, 5 of the committee members voted against using vaccines containing thimerosal, one abstained and only 1 voted to continue it. This shows the disregard and lack of understanding of the science. 

But even mentioning this creates doubt in people’s minds and their default is just to avoid vaccines altogether. This will have a tremendous impact on especially underserviced populations in the US.

As far as the other two “new” committees are concerned, what they are supposed to be studying has already been proven to be validated and the practices are safe. It’s like the tobacco industry doing a study today trying to prove smoking is safe. The likelihood is that their conclusions will be biased, confuse the public even more and will change how we treat kids moving forward. 

Just a bit of science about how vaccines work. 

Part of the way our immune system works is by identifying molecules called antigens on the surface of microbes, toxins or even cancer cells. Once encountered, unique cells are created which make antibodies specific to those antigens. Once those cells are created, they can identify those foreign invaders earlier and fight them off quicker. Microbes can have varying numbers of antigens. The flu virus for example has two major surface antigens whereas other viruses may have hundreds. 

Vaccines are either live, deactivated microbes, isolated parts of the microbes or genetic material coding for antigens. They create an immune response so if and/when you are exposed to the actual microbe, the immune system responds faster.

There is an argument that giving children all the vaccines they get, in such a short time, overwhelms the immune system and is unhealthy. But the reality is that today’s vaccines are very sophisticated, our immune response is very focused and the vaccine schedule is perfectly safe. It is estimated that a baby can respond to 10,000 vaccines simultaneously while only using 1% of their immune cells. Hardly overwhelming as the vaccine sceptics argue.

Do you know what does overwhelm the immune system? Getting Covid. During the pandemic, we lost millions of people to this disease, many as a result of the overwhelming immune complement storm which caused organ failure. The vaccine against Covid did not do this and protected people from this disease.

100 years ago, kids only received 1 vaccine. It was for smallpox and contained about 200 antigens. Today, kids get vaccines against 15 different infectious diseases however all these vaccines together expose them to only 165 antigens, in total. The combined Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine in the 1980s had over 3000 antigens. Today, it contains only 5. Vaccine safety has come a long way. 

The science is clear. Vaccines are safe, protect kids and save lives.

The recent vaccine advisory board is spreading misinformation, scaring the public and all this will result in more illness and death. It is insane.

A lawsuit was just filed against Kennedy and the HHS. It was brought by a pregnant doctor and a number of respected medical organizations, including American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians and The Infectious Disease Society of America. They are suing for unlawful vaccine recommendation changes. In particular regarding the announcement that Covid vaccines would no longer be recommended for young children and pregnant women. The vaccine has been proven to protect pregnant women and their unborn and newborn babies whereas getting Covid puts both mom and baby at risk.

Kennedy did not consult with any scientific body before he made his announcement and it went directly against the FDA guidelines announced only 2 weeks before, stating the opposite. Kennedy is eroding public trust in vaccines.

PLEASE ignore the insanity out there. As much as I hate medications and promote lifestyle changes as our most important tool to be healthy, I do feel that vaccines are crucial to personal and public health and safety.

Please get your Covid booster, and flu, RSV and pneumonia shots. If you have not yet gotten the Shingles vaccine, get it. And for goodness sake, protect your kids and grandkids and get them vaccinated. Including against HPV, the virus which causes cervical and head and neck cancer in adults. These cancers are becoming more and more common and this vaccine can save their lives in the future.

Enjoy the rest of the summer, but plan for the fall.

AC

Hello everyone,

Dr. Chuma here for another health segment.

I received a request to explain the difference between various pain relievers. A great topic since these are misunderstood, are WAY overused, and for the most part, taken without any understanding of how they work or the side effects and complications they cause.

First of all, what causes pain? Pain is a complex, unpleasant sensation that acts as a warning system for the body. It can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) and is influenced by various factors, including physical, psychological, and social elements. There are different kinds of pain

• Nociceptive pain is caused by tissue damage or inflammation for example from banging your knee or having arthritis or an infection.
• Neuropathic pain is caused by nerve damage like you see with shingles or diabetes.
• Nociplastic pain is caused by changes in how the nervous system processes pain signals. This type is the most variable from person to person and is what accounts for pain tolerance.

Treating pain addresses the different origins of pain. Some treat individual aspects and some manage a combination of pain sources.

So let’s talk about a few common drugs.

ACETAMINOPHEN

Tylenol, which is acetaminophen, is a pain reliever and fever reducer. Its exact mechanism of action is still not fully understood, but it is believed to work through a combination of mechanisms. 

1. It inhibits production of compounds called prostaglandins which are part of the inflammatory response, cause swelling and make nerve endings more sensitive.
2. It affects pain pathways by interrupting pain signals in the brain and spinal cord, reducing the perception of pain. 
3. It interacts with the endocannabinoid system, a complex cell-signaling system which is involved in regulating pain and other bodily functions.
   

The mechanism of action may vary depending on the dosage and individual patient. Acetaminophen is overall pretty safe, but it can cause liver damage if taken in excessive amounts. 

STEROIDS

Steroids are hormones which have a myriad of functions, but when it comes to pain, it helps by reducing swelling and dampening down the inflammatory response. The mlst common one is prednisone, however our body also makes the steroid cortisol as part of our normal stress response. They are very potent and do have side effects like raising blood pressure and blood sugar, both normal responses important when there is danger around, however it’s not so good if you already have elevated blood pressure or diabetes or if it occurs too often. Steroids also impair our immune protection, increasing risks of getting an infection.

NSAIDS

NSAIDs stand for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Common ones include Motrin, which is ibuprofen, Aleve, which is naproxen and Relafen, often found as a gel. These also reduce inflammation, pain, and fever and also achieve this by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, but to a much greater degree than Tylenol does. NSAIDs primarily block 2 enzymes, which are essential for prostaglandin synthesis. One of these enzymes is called COX-1, also protects the stomach lining and promotes healthy clotting which is why using NSAIDs, even short term, can lead to stomach inflammation and ulcers as well as thinning of the blood with excessive bleeding. 

As I mentioned in my last segment on collagen, NSAIDS inhibit collagen repair and formation and actually increase the likelihood of needing a joint replacement. Additionally, they can impair liver function, primarily affecting its production of other clotting factors, adding to the risk of excessive bleeding.

They also increase sensitivity to the sun and raise dementia risk.

Another class of NSAIDS are called COX-2 inhibitors since they selectively inhibit only that enzyme and do not have the same risks of ulcers and bleeding. The main one in this category is Celebrex, or celecoxib.

ASPIRIN

Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, or ASA, is also technically an NSAID and also works by inhibiting both cox enzymes, so it too can cause stomach issues and bleeding. Aspirin additionally inhibits clotting by neutralizing our platelets’ ability to clump together. It acts very quickly which is why EMS attendants will have someone chew on an aspirin en route to the hospital if they are concerned about a heart attack. 

Although aspirin can be a great pain reliever and miracle drug for many who have heart disease, it also is the drug which causes the most complications and deaths. These range from allergic reactions to deadly internal bleeding after falls. I see a lot of nosebleeds in aspirin users. Many of these patients really don’t need to be taking it. If you do, please be sure to check with your doctor if you really need it.

OPIODS

Opioids work primarily by acting on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the body involved in pain and pleasure.  They do not reduce inflammation. Our bodies make opioids but whether natural or synthetic, like hydrocodone, oxycodone, or morphine, they bind to various receptors and have different effects.

• Opioids bind to pain receptors on nerves blocking or reduce the intensity of pain signals being sent from the body through the spinal cord to the brain.
• They trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward.
• Finally, opioids depress the central nervous system in general, slowing down communication between the brain and the body.

There are some serious problems with OPIODS.

• While opioids can be effective for pain relief, they are highly addictive.
• We develop tolerance to it so those addicted to it need more and more to achieve the same level of pleasure and pain relief from it.
• The release of dopamine can reinforce the behavior of taking opioids, and leads to various other addictions, like gambling, drinking or even excessive eating.
• Opioids can have serious side effects, including slowed breathing and heart rate which can lead to overdose and death.

There are other medications which can help with pain. These include things like gabapentin, commonly used for the nerve pain from shingles and cannabinoids, found in marjuana, which is used for a variety of pain syndromes.

NATURAL PAIN RELIEVERS.

Many foods contain significant anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects as well. The best known is the compound curcumin found in the Indian spice turmeric. Many studies have shown that it can be equally effective as NSAIDS in reducing inflammation and reducing pain. Just beware of supplements which have concentrated curcumin which can cause liver damage.

Another interesting one is extra virgin olive oil. One recent study compared rubbing a teaspoon of EVOO onto arthritic knees and it having the same pain relieving effects as the topical NSAID gel medication Relafen. EVOO is rich in anti-inflammatory plant compounds.

Many fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices contain ASA, even at levels which rival taking an aspirin a day, just without the complicating risk factors.

Lastly, exercise itself can have pain relieving effects. When we exercise, our muscles generate compounds called myokines, which are opioid like compounds which help relieve pain.

See you next time.