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The Flu
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.Virus
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the benefits of getting immunized against the flu.
.....So let's deal with that: why can -and do - the experts occasionally miss so badly in coming up with a flu vaccine?
To explain the problem, we have to start by discussing how the experts come up with an annual new "flu shot".
..... It all actually starts each year sometime in the late winter, or at the latest, in the early spring, when an international panel of health experts meets several times to assess which strains of the flu virus are predominating in Asia at the time of their meetings.
.....Why do the medical mavens look towards Asia in the spring (besides the fact that they get to visit Hong Kong and China and Thailand and Indonesia on "business" at a great time of year to visit those countries)?
.....Because of where and how the flu virus exists in nature.
.....You see, the flu virus doesn't just infect humans (although we're the only species that complains about it, especially, of course, if you're a male of the species). In nature, flu viruses also love to take up residence in pigs and fowl (ducks, for example), so |
.....My rabbi should be thrilled with me when he reads this month's column because I'm going to start this column with a prayer, although I'm afraid it's not going to be the kind of prayer that my rabbi generally offers up (not to mention that my prayer is going to be considerably shorter than the ones my rabbi generally leads us in, much, much, much, much shorter, in fact).
.....Anyway, here's my fervent prayer: please, God, please, would you kindly make sure that the people who put together the formulation in this year's flu vaccine actually got it more right than they did last year?
.....Amen, God, and hey, God? If you come through for me, I promise you that I'll go to synagogue more often this year. Well, I'll go at least once, but as we both know, that is more often than last year. Amen, again.
.....OK, now that my prayer is undoubtedly winding its way to heaven, let's talk about flu vaccines and specifically, a couple of key issues surrounding this vital public health program.
.....And let me start this discussion with the flu-related matter that was much in the news last year and the |
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one that actually brought that prayer to my lips: last year, as most of you probably know, the lu formulation in
 the vaccine badly missed matching up to the flu strains that actually made their way through our communities, which has lead many already-skeptical people (and you can't believe how many people don't believe in the value of flu shots) to become even more skeptical than they usually are about |
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