Vaccine Times: Polio death toll in Congo surpasses 200

Polio? Wasn't that nearly eradicated?  Well, yes it IS, in areas where people get the vaccine!  Of course, the anti-vax pro-disease nutters don't think that preventing death is worth the risk, however imagined it may be.  And I must quote a blogger by the name of Science Mom that had this scathing and accurate observation:  If you go to some of the anti-vax sites, it's like watching 7 year old children having a conversation about sex. The wild speculation, with merely grains of fact to work with, lead to frightening results!  How true!  I think this may be one of my favorite quotes in a long time!  Expect to see it a lot.

Polio death toll in Congo surpasses 200

The death toll from the polio outbreak in Congo has surpassed 200, according to the UNICEF. When I last reported on this outbreak, a little over a month ago, the death toll was a little under 100, and it has doubled in a little over a month. A three-round emergency immunization campaign was launched in the wake of the outbreak. This week marks the end of the second wave of the campaign with thousands of health workers and volunteers working hard to vaccinate the entire population, regardless of gender, age or past immunization status. Most of the victims so far have been in the age range of 15-29 years.

The good news is that the number of new cases appears to be slowing and the mortality rate has decreased slightly, from 47% at the beginning of the outbreak, to 42% in the beginning of December, but the situation is still worrying. UNICEF has procured 18 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccine to be used in the campaign, but the logistics of actually reaching all the population are daunting to say the least.

Vaccinating a whole population is not an overnight task and comes at a cost,” said UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano, who visited Pointe Noire to support the nationwide campaign.

More funds are needed for the third wave of vaccinations which are scheduled for January.

With the support of the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, $4.5 million in funding has already been committed, in addition to a government allocation of $2 million. UNICEF is seeking an additional $3 million to support the third round of the campaign in early January.

Given how world governments waste hundreds of billions in much less worthwhile projects, I can only hope that raising the $3 million needed for the third wave will not be a problem. The payoff in saved human lives and reduced suffering will be immense.

Lastly, more kudos to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, yet again in the thick of things right where help is needed most. They are true pro-health heroes in my book; donating their time, efforts and huge, huge amounts of cash to help those people who need it most.

The Vaccine Times Oct-Dec 2010 Issue

Just doing my part to spread the word about this great project.  If there is any support that you can offer, even just sharing this link around, please do so.

The Vaccine Times Oct-Dec 2010 Issue

Hello dear friends; The Vaccine Times team would like to wish you a happy and safe holiday season. It is with great pleasure that we share with you the brand new, second issue of The Vaccine Times (Oct-Dec 2010). Please click the image below to download.

The Vaccine Times Oct-Dec 2010

Your continued help and support is still needed

Over the past few months we have received a lot of support from friends, such as yourself, in the pro-health community. Interest in our publication has been fairly high and the feedback has been positive. We are extremely happy to inform you that we have surpassed 100 free subscribers, on target with the goal we had set for us for the second issue. The number of subscribers to the free e-mail list is crucial, if we are to attract prospective customers who might want to buy ad space, so the new goal is to reach 200 by the next issue. You all can help us meet this goal by spreading the word in the Internet, via Facebook, Twitter, websites and blogs.

However, the Times is not yet financially viable; we have been unable to secure any funding so far, which would allow us to spread the pro-health message to the largest audience possible. As such, we extend an appeal to any organized skeptical, medical or other organizations in the pro-health community who want to support our efforts and help use make the print Vaccine Times a reality by advertising with us. If we can raise just $1,000, that would guarantee printing and mailing of the smallest order the printing company will accept, for one full year. Anything over that would possibly enable us to advertise in some other print publication and help us reach prospective paid subscribers. Anything over that goes towards my yacht.

What is new with The Vaccine Times

Since the first issue was released, this website has been set up, which also replaces the Vaccine Central Blog. We are also present on Twitter as @VaccineTimes. The Vaccine Times blog is available now, as a subscription for Amazon Kindle. We are also thinking about setting up The Vaccine Times newspaper as a Kindle publication, although we might need some help from people with XML skills to help us set it up properly. If you have skills in that area, please get in touch with us.

An online Cafepress store for Vaccine Times branded merchandise is now available; you can support the project by purchasing merchandise bearing our designs. A small commission fee goes our way, so if you feel that is something you’d like to do please visit our store.

We are working to have everything in place to start taking print subscription orders at the beginning of the year 2011. We hope that between ad revenue, subscription revenue and merchandise revenue we will generate enough funds to make The Vaccine Times viable. Please keep an eye on the blog and on Twitter for announcements regarding paid subscriptions.

You can help

We are very grateful for your support so far, without it we would’ve probably called it quits a while back. Nevertheless, you can do more, at very little cost to you, to help us. Besides subscribing to the paid printed version when it becomes available, there are a few other things you can do to help us that will not cost you anything (besides a few minutes of your time). Here is a short list:

• Share ideas on how to reach our target market – As you may know, our target market for the paid print Times are pediatricians and other medical professionals. We need ideas about where to get a usable list of pediatricians, and how to go about reaching out to them, all while keeping in mind that cost is a major limiting factor at the present time. Any idea is welcome, no matter how remote you might think it is; please e-mail us at vaccinetimes@gmail.com .
• Subscribe to the Vaccine Times blog RSS feed – If you use an RSS aggregator to stay in touch with the latest news, please consider adding The Vaccine Times feed to your list. It is free, and a growing number of subscribers, and hopefully commenters, does wonders for motivation.
• Follow @VaccineTimes on Twitter- Twitter is the best way for us to communicate with each other. We do not want to abuse the privilege of having your e-mail address on our list by inundating you with too many e-mails. Twitter makes it easy to send out small announcements and requests. If you have a Twitter account, following @VaccineTimes takes literally 5 seconds. If you do not have a Twitter account, you should consider setting one up. It is free, and it is a great way to stay in touch.
• Spread the word – Post a Facebook update with a link to vaccinetimes.com; post a Twitter message with the same content; Print copies and leave them hanging around on the copy room at work; give them out at church; give one to your baby’s pediatrician and tell them you’d better have this available as reading material than People Magazine in their waiting room etc.
• If you work for a major skeptical, or other pro-health, organization – You can help by convincing your organization to:
  • Order a batch of 25 (or more), for about $200 (or more), and hand them out at your next local event (e-mail vaccinetimes@gmail.com for details)
  • Purchase some add space. Do you have a skeptical event, or some other event, you want to advertise? Send us the ad in JPEG format and we’ll include it in the next run of the Times. Check out this link for current prices.
  • If you are a podcaster, plug the Vaccine Times in your podcast (and let us know so we can return the favor on the blog).
  • If you are a blogger, link to vaccinetimes.com.
  • If you are a commercially successful podcaster or blogger, then you can support The Vaccine Times, by buying up a quarter-page, half-page, or full-page ad.

Vaccine Times: Why The Controversy? Vaccines Save Lives

A question I ask myself all the time!  It is a FACT that vaccines save lives.  Yet the lies and distortions of the anti-vax pro-disease nutters are killing people, mostly children.  And they think that they are performing some sort of public service...  While I am a staunch supporter of free speech, I abhor "free lies" and these people need to be silenced and exposed for the charlatans they are.  They are not entitled to their own facts, and that's what they think they have with each lie they spread.

Why The Controversy? Vaccines Save Lives

On December 16, 2010, in ALL POSTS, NEWS, by Leart Shaka

READ THE FULL ENTRY AT WGBH

Now that flu season is almost upon us, debate rages about the safety and necessity of vaccinations. Molecular biologist Adam J. Ruben says the flu shot is not only safe and necessary for you but is vital for the health of the public.

A few weeks ago, my sister asked a simple yes-no question on her Facebook page: She wrote, “should I get the flu shot?” She might as well have posted, “should I fillet this kitten?” Friends replied in droves, arguing every aspect of what, in this country, has become a fierce and unnecessary debate.

Last year, when H1N1 reared its head, the public demanded a quick, safe, reliable way to prevent the disease. “Here,” said science. “We’ve made this vaccine!” And the public said, “Eh … what else have you got?”

The government bought about 200 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine and worried whether these would be enough. But many sat unused, and tens of millions of doses were incinerated when they expired this summer. Now, there’s nothing unusual about a vaccine surplus being destroyed, but I was struck, both last year and this year, by what the destruction represented: that millions of people — with the vaccine widely available — had chosen to forgo the shot and tough it out on their own.

I happen to think vaccines are the single greatest invention of humankind. In the middle of the 20th century, the world saw 50 million cases of smallpox every year. Thirty years later, thanks to a successful vaccination campaign, that number fell to — and has remained at — zero.

READ THE FULL ENTRY AT WGBH

Vaccine Times: Measles kills 11 children in Pakistan

One thing that really dismays me about Americans is that they could generally care less about the goings on in the rest of the world.  Especially if something horrible is going on outside of Europe, and there seems to be a general consensus to ignore stuff if people suffering have a different skin colour compared to most Americans.

Measles kills 11 children in Pakistan

On December 16, 2010, in ALL POSTS, EPIDEMICS/OUTBREAKS, Measles, by Leart Shaka

A recent measles outbreak has killed 11 children in Pakistan’s district of Dadu, according to Spero News. Health workers in the affected area have demanded new immunization centers to reach as many children as possible. Fortunately it appears the situation is under control, and over 4,000 children in the area have been vaccinated during the last couple of weeks in November. One woman in the affected area, has already lost 3 of her 4 children to the outbreak:

Gulann watches with empty eyes as the WHO doctors check the children’s arms for the vaccination mark. Her five year old daughter Sapona, half asleep, holds her tightly, as if afraid that she too would vanish from her life. Gulann has lost three of her four children in the measles outbreak, and Sapona all her siblings. Despite the sadness that grips everyone in Karapur, the women bring colorful fabrics and drop them on a “charpai” – a low wide hammock- for their WHO guests to sit, attesting the resilience of Pakistani hospitality. Dr Laghari uses the charpai as his examining coach to check Sapona’s temperature, her skin and her arm. “She is doing fine, and she has been vaccinated”, he says, his face openly relieved.

Gulann explains to the team that she had brought her kid to a doctor in the fish market “Aneela, woke up one day with a high fever and diarrhoea, and then I saw that she could not breath normally, I knew it was bad so I took her to the doctor. He gave her medication and admitted her in the hospital but she died. Ayaz and Kajul got sick later, and they died last week. They were not even admitted to the Hospital”. Too often hospitals are overcrowded and do not have a proper isolation room for contagious diseases. Admitting a case of measles could put at risk the rest of the patients. Gulann looks at her daughter with painstriken eyes “I have only Sapona left with me now” she whispers, caressing her daughter’s fingers softly.

I cannot hardly imagine a greater pain than what this mother must be living through right now; words fail me. Children shouldn’t be dying of a vaccine preventable disease, no matter where in the world they happen to live; and those lucky enough to live in countries where a live-saving shot is but a short car ride away should think twice before denying it to their children and putting their lives at the same risk, Gulann’s children’s were. Please, stop playing Russian Roulette with your children’s lives.

Vaccine Times: Flu "fatigue"

Flu makes lasting impact on mother and daughter: They’re telling their story to overcome public ‘fatigue’ about flu dangers

On December 16, 2010, in ALL POSTS, Influenza (Seasonal), VACCINE PREVENTABLE SUFFERING, by Leart Shaka

READ THE REST OF THIS STORY AT MLIVE.COM

KALAMAZOO — The Welch family of Comstock Township is spending this Thanksgiving together, and that situation, they agree, is really something to be thankful for.

Last Thanksgiving Day, Amie Welch was sitting at her daughter Cailey’s bedside in Bronson Methodist Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Welch had just been released from the hospital herself, having spent a month on a ventilator, but Cailey, then 10 years old and admitted just a day after her mother, was far sicker.

It wasn’t some exotic disease that laid both mother and daughter so low. It was the flu.

At times during her six-month hospital stay, Cailey’s survival was in doubt. “Several times, sitting in her room, we were watching them lose her,” Welch said.

Cailey was on a ventilator for months, and the high air pressure needed to keep her alive did serious damage to her lungs, her mother said. “Her lungs will be always be scarred from that,” Welch said.

Cailey, who turned 11 in January, still requires oxygen 12 to 14 hours a day, her mother said, and it’s administered through her nose. “We don’t go anywhere without it,” Welch said.

Cailey also has had “surgery after surgery” to remove tissue that had built up as a result of a tracheotomy she received in the hospital, her mother said. The tissue has to be removed before the tracheostomy stoma can be closed.

Cailey has not been able to return to school at Kalamazoo’s Edison Environmental Science Academy, where she would have been in sixth grade. Instead, she is schooled through a program for homebound students run by the Kalamazoo Regional Educational and Service Agency (KRESA).

Amie Welch, 34, has suffered permanent lung damage, too, although Cailey’s is much worse, she said. “I have a little bit of scar tissue that will always be there,” she said. Its impact is that she becomes winded very easily.

Because of their experiences, the Welches have been working with the American Lung Association to spread the word about the importance of getting flu shots. Amie Welch said she agreed to share their story because “if anything good could come out of what we had to go through, we want that to happen.”

READ THE REST OF THIS STORY AT MLIVE.COM

Vaccine Times: Pro-health website of the day : The History of Vaccines

Pro-health website of the day : The History of Vaccines

On December 15, 2010, in ALL POSTS, NEWS, by Leart Shaka

Our pro-health website of the day is The History of Vaccines a website set up by The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest professional society in the United States. Its mission includes: “to increase public knowledge and understanding of the ways in which vaccines, toxoids, and passive immunization work, how they have been developed, and the role they have played in the improvement of human health.” a very worthwhile goal in my opinion. The site is very attractive visually and has loads of great information, and my personal favorite is the Timelines portion of the page which provides a nice visual of the history of vaccines and a great jumping point to do further more in-depth research.  I encourage everyone to bookmark and to peruse this most excellent website.

Vaccine Times: Some celebrities get science and reason

I have often been amazed at how much we Americans listen to celebrities...  And how much stock we put in the words of people whose job it is to portray a non-reality.  That is probably to say that the best way to describe an actor is someone who is paid a lot of money to make you sincerely believe the lie he is portraying on the screen.  Think about it.  So when they make outrageous claims about something, why is there so much stock placed in what they say?  Is it because we are predisposed to believe them?  Well, sadly, too many celebrities with their limited (i.e. non-existent) education in medicine and biology will say and endorse the craziest of things.  So I can only say that it is refreshing to sometimes hear some of these folks that actually understand that.

Some celebrities get science and reason

On December 14, 2010, in ALL POSTS, NEWS, Polio, by Leart Shaka

While we bemoan the lack of critical thinking displayed by our celebrities (McCarthy and vaccines, Shaq and PowerBalance rubber bands, Oprah and, well everything) Amitabh Bachchan, a huge Bollywood star, has writen an article for The Times of India, about the polio eradication efforts in India, and he displays the kind of understanding of the issue, the dangers of the disease and the benefits of the vaccines, that we can only dream off form some of our celebrities, here in the U.S.

In just over half a century, we have made massive progress in protecting our children from polio. It’s paying off. Today, on this World Polio Day, we are closer than ever to eliminating this terrible disease from India.

In just one short paragraph, Mr. Bachchan shows a deeper understanding than most anti-vaxers: he realizes how terrible these diseases can be; they don’t.

Polio cripples and kills. Children face many threats, but this is one that we can prevent forever right now.

True, unless you’re Meryl Dorey of the AVN of course; she maintains these diseases don’t kill, maybe she’s never heard of India.

We know what works. When the polio eradication campaign started, India was reporting 500 polio cases per day. Since then, more than 40 lakh children have been saved from paralysis. You have seen me, cricketers and other public figures on television, urging everyone to join the immunization effort. In the last few years, there has been a marked increase in the number of parents who ensure their children are immunized. Thousands of dedicated health workers travel great distances to take vaccines to remote areas. All of this has had tremendous impact along with support from government leaders and increased surveillance to track and stop the polio virus. So far this year, we have seen only 39 polio cases — down from 741 in 2009. But as we know, India’s eradication campaign still faces a variety of challenges. If not addressed, we will be unable to keep our children safe

One lakh is equal to 100,000; when the math is done, this means that more than 4 million children have been saved from paralysis in India alone, since the start of the polio eradication campaign; a rousing success that even the most rabid anti-vaccine proponent cannot ignore. When compared to the very few cases of vaccine derived polio paralysis, the cost-benefit ratio is substantially on the side of vaccination.

Through our success, we will prove that India is serious about defeating polio once and for all — for the sake of the children, and for the sake of the world.

How refreshing to hear the words “for the sake of the world”; they display an understanding that one’s actions affect others, and no-one lives in a bubble. Compare that with the anti-vaxers “argument” that we shouldn’t vaccinate for polio in the US; after all we haven’t registered a case of wild poliovirus for decades. I guess they haven’t heard of airplanes.

Intermittent Posting

Just got a little bit of advertising from some friends on facebook.  Thank you.  I do want to make sure that people click on the link that takes you to http://factsnotfantasy.com which is the main page.  That is where you will find some relevant, although more static, information about both vaccines and evolution.

Vaccines:  As I have often said, the anti-vax pro-disease nutters will tell any lie they can make up in order to promote their dangerous agenda.  The main menu tab has a pretty well laid out page that counters some of the most egregious of their lies.  Sadly, it's hard to keep up with lies since people are just randomly making crap up.  But this should give you an idea as to how weak their position is.  In the sub-menu section, I think DEATHS is the most important page to visit.

Evolution:  The fact that this page is needed is just a sad testament to the influence of bronze age fairy tales in today's society.  No one argues gravity or tries to promote "intelligent falling" yet we have this argument over and over again.  The theory of evolution is as close to a fact that science can have at this point.  The denialism involved in this just staggers the mind.  Of the sub menu pages, I think Creationists, read this! is my favorite.

Also, I am always open for others to join this blog to contribute.  Feel free to drop me a line and I will add you to the list of authors.  Thank you.

Not Exactly Rocket Science: I’ve got your missing links right here

I’ve got your missing links right here (11th December 2010)

Top ten picks
You’ll need a New Yorker subscription for the full article, but honestly, Jonah Lehrer’s piece – The Truth Wears Off – is worth it. It is deeply fascinating and deeply troubling. In discussing the fact that many scientific results wither away when replicated, Lehrer writes, “The decline effect is troubling because it reminds us how difficult it is to prove anything.” It makes me want to include a photo of Jonah next to all my pieces saying “Oh REALLY?” Meanwhile, Discover has a related piece on the “streetlight effect”.

“The Antikythera Mechanism is the oldest known scientific computer, built in Greece at around 100 BCE. Lost for 2000 years, it was recovered from a shipwreck in 1901. But not until a century later was its purpose understood: an astronomical clock that determines the positions of celestial bodies with extraordinary precision. In 2010, we built a fully-functional replica out of Lego.” Massive congratulations to John Pavlus, Adam Rutherford and Andy Carol for their astounding work. Read the “making of” post at John’s site.
The mice with two dads: Mickey and Jerry have produced baby mice with no mothers.

This is absolutely incredible. You can work out the entire genome of an unborn foetus using a blood sample from mum.

Brandon Keim has done a wonderful job with this community-funded investigation into white nose syndrome – the mysterious disease killing off American bats.

“They say, rather ingenuously, that if you have Alzheimer’s it’s the best form of Alzheimer’s to have. This is a moot point.” Terry Pratchett on his disease.

Chinese scientists dress up as pandas. As Neil Withers said on Twitter, maybe all pandas are scientists in suits. Picture 3 is especially wonderful. “The researchers wear panda costumes to ensure that the cub’s environment is devoid of human influence.” You mean, except for the plastic boxes and the human in a massive, stinky panda suit?

“All this work certainly builds a strong circumstantial case that the Oriental hornets have indeed evolved an organic solar collector—perhaps not photosynthetic in the usual sense, but something similar.” The solar-powered hornets are back in the news and John Rennie has a measured take on the paper.

What happens when an alligator bites an electric eel? The same thing that happens to everything else (nods at X-Men film).

The first MRI scan of a baby during birth reveals that babies look like the aliens from Mars Attacks.
More after the jump…

News/writing/stuff
“A female messenger could attract a more diverse crowd, including other women. The point of punditry is often to persuade people that science is worthwhile and, more to the point, deserves funding… Women should stand shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues to make this happen.” Jenny Rohn has a great Nature piece on why female researchers should speak out in the media.

Hobbits shared their islands with giant storks.

“Cancer villages” in Turkey could help to stave off a public health disaster in North Dakota.

I need a hero. “The goal of the project is simple: to put decades of experimental research to use in… churning out good guys with the same efficiency that gangs and terrorist groups produce bad guys.”

Mountain gorilla numbers “soar” by 26%. For perspective, there are now 480 rather than 380. My office floor has more people than that.

Mary Carmichael profiles Harvard geneticist George Church. As with all her stuff on personal genomics, it’s joyous.

Have a listen to Adam Rutherford’s radio documentary on epigenetics (will only work for Brits, I think).
Carl Zimmer alerts to a free series of online lectures where you can learn about astrobiology. A great, great resource.

Kirghiz tribesmen of central Asia use golden eagles to hunt and kill wolves. What? You don’t?

“As species disappear, infectious diseases rise in humans and throughout the animal kingdom, so extinctions directly affect our health and chances for survival as a species.” Oh dear.

While I aspire to both, Obesity Panacea tells me that sitting too much is not the same as exercising too little
“Maybe there’s a gene for the belief that genes can explain everything. If so, I’m missing it.“ Casey Schwartz goes over the lamentable coverage of the “slut gene”

3D without the headaches, thanks to “The I”. Frank Swain reports.

A fascinating look at weird, arcane world of dinosaur-naming (and why it hasn’t caught up with the web)
Scorpions glow in the dark to detect moonlight? Well it’s one idea, anyway.

“The starfish have effectively done a lot of the hard work for us” Non-stick starfish could inspire new anti-inflammation medicines

Did asteroids deliver bling to Earth? “It could have just have easily not have happened, and then you wouldn’t be wearing a gold ring after your wedding”

The world’s most expensive book sold for 10 million dollars, and it’s a natural history classic – JJ Audobon’s Birds of America. I’ve always loved the wonderful contorted poses for the long-necked species.

Neuroscience – it will not help you design the right kitchen. But can it help me pick between 235 virtually identical shades of creamy white paint?

No evidence of time before Big Bang. (I’m crap at physics and I can’t even remember what I did last Tuesday, so just imagine how painful this is for me…)

It’s not looking good for coral reefs.

This is why your iPod battery wears out: charging makes nanowires dance and deform (on video, no less)
Then and Now: repeat photography captures changing landscapes

Flying on a laser. I love this because the practical applications are unknown. It’s just “neat”.

Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies. Warning, there are lots of graphic photos.

Huh/wow/heh
Here’s a list of different things by length, across several orders of magnitude. I love Wikipedia so much.
Remember that hilarious paper on writer’s block? It has been replicated.

Ageing Kazakhstan President asks scientists to find fountain of youth. You can practically hear him yelling, “What’s taking so long?!”

Two penguins re-enact Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. And ducklings get blown off their feet by the wind

Wow. Look at the Sun’s massive “prominence”. It’s a million kilometres across. I have flare envy.

The Daily Mash: Assange to escape from police at the top of some stairs

RCT = Randomised Crocodile Touching

XKCD’s complete map of optimal tic-tac-toe moves

Jeremy Hunt gets renamed on live radio. You might also enjoy this list of top 13 howlers.

“Cortical response to electrical stimulation in human rectum”. No wonder they only recruited 17 volunteers.
This blog goes into a scary level of detail on the legal implications of living in a world of superheroes and supervillains

Blogging/internet/journalism
Say hi to Jenny Rohn, Richard Grant, Henry Gee, Cath Ennis, Dr Aust, Erika Cule, Stephen Curry, Frank Norman and more at their new blogging network – Occam’s Typewriter.

Journalism gets a lot of criticism, but seldom with any data behind it. This, therefore, is good. Scientists rated the accuracy of news stories about cancer genetics. Overall, the scores were middling but press release claims were more likely to be accurate than those in news stories. The study also highlights the importance of external quotes.

I wrote 33,000 words in November. Also, my posts are three times longer than the average blogger. Science3.0 has some interesting data on blogger productiveness.

The most horrific newspaper correction of all time. I think I threw up a little bit.

Can you defame someone with a hyperlink?

So, Wikileaks. Umberto Eco has a wonderful piece on Wikileaks, positing that we’re in a bizarrely recursive Orwellian world where the state watches its citizens and the citizens watch the state. John Naughton has a great piece on why we need to live with the WikiLeakable world or shut down the net. Emily Bell has a great post on how Wikileaks has woken up journalism. And finally, the Atlantic: if you absolutely positively have to know what to think about Wikileaks, accept no substitutes.

The Guardian wrote that “just one British black Caribbean student was admitted to Oxford last year.” A case of discrimination? No, a salutary lesson in statistics. Seamus McCauley brings the true analysis at virtualeconomics.co.uk.

And finally… absolutely wonderful. Media mistakes and corrections of the year. Cooks Source, Climategate, plus many other hilarious examples.

Vaccine Times: Pro-health website of the day: Every Child By Two

Pro-health website of the day: Every Child By Two

On December 6, 2010, in ALL POSTS, by Leart Shaka

Every Child By Two, which can be found at ecbt.org is our pro-health website of the day. It is chock full of  important information. For instance, did you know that every $1 spent on vaccinations saves $6.30 in direct medical costs, for a total savings of over $10 Billion per year? Neither did I, and that is only counting direct medical savings; once you factor in total societal savings it goes up to $18.40, producing societal aggregate savings of $42 billion.

Here is the kind of useful information one can find at this website (I apologize the formatting did not carry over you can click here to see the source of this information). I encourage all to peruse the website and learn as much of these facts as possible, to use them to counter all the anti-vaccine misinformation out there, in the fight for our children’s health.

Childhood Vaccines Save Lives and Money

• Routine childhood immunization
  • 33,000 deaths prevented
  • $43 billion saved

Disease	Cases Prevented	Deaths Prevented
Diphtheria	247,212	24,721
Tetanus	146	22
Pertussis	2,614,874	1,008
Polio	60,974	723
Measles	3,433,036	2,794
Mumps	2,095,917	11
Rubella	1,784,030	14
CRS	602	66
Hib	17,469	661
Hepatitis B	207,353	3,024
Varicella	3,788,807	57
Total	13,622,004	33,101

For every $1 spent:
DTaP saves2	$27.00
MMR saves3	$26.00
H. Influenza type b saves4	$5.40
Perinatal Hep B saves5	$14.70
Varicella saves6	$5.40
Inactivated Polio (IPV) saves7	$5.45

Sources
1 Zhou, et al., Arch PediatrAdolescMed, 159(Dec 2005):1136-1144
2 Ekwuemeet al, Arch PediatrAdolescMed, 154(Aug 2000): 797-803
3 Zhou, et al., J Infect Dis, 189(2004): S131-145
4 Zhou, et al., Pediatrics, 110:4(Oct 2002): 653-661
5 Zhou, et al., CDC unpublisheddata
6 Lieu, et al., JAMA, 271(1994): 375-81
7 Zhou, et al., CDC unpublished data Childhood