[p2p-research] H1N1 Mostly hospitalizes the younger...2-17 y.o.s

[Paul D. Fernhout]

Ryan Lanham wrote:
> http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/10/why_the_epidemiology_of_swine.php?utm_source=selectfeed&utm_medium=rss
 From scienceblogs: "The most rational thing to do at this moment, given 
what we know and don't know, is to get vaccinated with both seasonal flu and 
swine flu vaccines. That's what I'm going to do. I already got my seasonal 
flu shot and I'll wait in line for my turn for the swine flu vaccine and get 
it as soon as I can. You not only protect yourself but you help prevent 
spread of flu to others."

Kinda funny that graph on that page or really of almost any flu shows so few 
cases in summer? Maybe the rational thing to do is to have summer all year 
long? Or a part of it, anyway, like more Vitamin D? :-)

Maybe young kids are more Vitamin D deficient? It would be nice to test 
their Vitamin D levels.

Related:
"Vitamin D and H1N1 Swine Flu"
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/vitamin-d-and-h1n1-swine-flu.shtml
"""
...
"In June, 2009, at the time of the well-publicized Wisconsin spike in H1N1 
cases, two residents developed influenza-like illness (ILI) and had positive 
tests for H1N1: one was a long-term resident; the other, a child, was 
transferred to us with what was later proven to be H1N1. On the other hand, 
60 staff members developed ILI or were documented to have H1N1: of 17 tested 
for ILI, eight were positive. An additional 43 staff members called in sick 
with ILI. (Approx. 11–12 staff developed ILI after working on the unit where 
the child was given care, several of whom had positive H1N1 tests.) So, it 
is rather remarkable that only two residents of 275 developed ILI, one of 
which did not develop it here, while 103 of 800 staff members had ILI. It 
appears that the spread of H1N1 was not from staff-to-resident but from 
resident-to-staff (most obvious in the imported case) and between staff, 
implying that staff were susceptible and our residents protected."
...
This is the first hard data that I am aware of concerning H1N1 and vitamin 
D. It appears vitamin D is incredibly protective against H1N1. Dr. Carlos 
Carmago at Mass General ran the numbers in an email to me. Even if one 
excludes 43 staff members who called in sick with influenza, 0.73% of 
residents were affected, as compared to 7.5% of staff. This 10-fold 
difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). That is, the chance that 
this was a chance occurrence is one less than one in a thousand.
   Second, if you read my last newsletter, you will see that children with 
neurological impairments, like the patients at your hospital, have accounted 
for 2/3 of the childhood deaths for H1N1 so far in the USA. That is, the CDC 
knows, because they reported it, that patients with neurological impairments 
are more likely to die from H1N1. [And neurological problems have been 
linked to Vitamin D deficiency.]
   The problem is that I cannot get anyone in authority at the CDC or the 
NIH to listen. I need readers to email or call their senators and 
congresspersons in Washington.
   Ask your senator or congressperson to contact the CDC and NIH to complain 
about CDC and NIH inaction on Vitamin D and H1N1. Also, ask your senators 
and representative to demand congressional hearings on Vitamin D and H1N1, 
before it is too late. Here is the link, just click it and follow 
instructions to contact your own represenatives:
   http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
"""

In the summer, people make more Vitamin D. Vitamin D in the above situation, 
very unlikely by chance, has been shown to be tremendously effective against 
the flu -- likely more so than any vaccine. So, maybe ScienceBlogs should 
have written: "The most rational thing to do at this moment, given what we 
know and don't know, is to make sure you do not have a Vitamin D deficiency 
by following the advice on the Vitamin D Council website. That's what I'm 
going to do. I already got my vitamin D supplements. You not only protect 
yourself but you help prevent spread of flu to others."

Dr. Mercola says the same thing.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/26/Flu-Vaccine-Exposed.aspx
"""
At least five studies show an inverse association between lower respiratory 
tract infections and 25(OH)D levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D 
level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory 
tract infections:
    1. A 2007 study suggests higher vitamin D status enhances your immunity 
to microbial infections. They found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency 
had significantly more days of absence from work due to respiratory 
infection than did control subjects.
    2. A 2009 study on vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower 
respiratory infection (ALRI) confirmed a strong, positive correlation 
between newborns’ and mother’s vitamin D levels. Over 87 percent of all 
newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 
20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state.
     Newborns with vitamin D deficiency appear to have an increased risk of 
developing ALRI, and since the child’s vitamin D level strongly correlates 
with its mother’s, the researchers recommend that all mothers’ optimize 
their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, especially in the winter months, to 
safeguard their baby’s health.
    3. A similar Indian study published in 2004 also reported that vitamin D 
deficiency in infants significantly raised their odds ratio for having 
severe ALRI.
    4. A 2009 analysis of the Third National Health andNutrition Examination 
Survey examined the association between vitamin D levelsand recent upper 
respiratory tract infection (URTI) in nearly 19,000 subjects over the age of 12.
   Recent URTI was reported by:
      *17 percent of participants with vitamin D levels of 30ng/ml or higher
      * 20 percent of participants with vitamin D levels between 10-30 ng/ml.
      * 24 percent of participants with vitamin D levels below 10ng/ml
           The positive correlation between lower vitamin D levels and 
increased risk of URTI was even stronger in individuals with asthma and 
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
    5. Another 2009 report in the journal Pediatric Research stated that 
infants and children appear more susceptible to viral rather than bacterial 
infections when deficient in vitamin D. And that, based on the available 
evidence showing a strong connection between vitamin D, infections, and 
immune function in children, vitamin D supplementation may be a valuable 
therapy in pediatric medicine.
"""

So, who has the better science here about preventing and treating flu? Dr. 
Cannell along with Dr. Mercola, or ScienceBlogs?

Now, maybe the vaccine might help too, or not, and it might be worth the 
risk too, or not. But Vitamin D will apparently help protect you against the 
flu as well as lots of other problems (cancer, depression, and so on) at 
next-to-no risk. Getting the flu shot might be a choice to make, but making 
sure you are not Vitamin D deficient seems like it is a no-brainer.

I just contacted one of my state senator routing through the above link to 
ask she hold hearings on Vitamin D.
   http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

I also sent a note to Amy Goodman through the Democracy Now web site,
   http://www.democracynow.org/about/contact
suggesting she interview Dr. John Cannell, MD. :-)
   http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/cannellBiography.shtml

The more the merrier, if anyone is interested. :-) None of these people will 
listen much to one voice like mine. But if lots of people suggest this, 
there might be some action eventually. At some point, p2p needs to start 
getting the hierarchy to be responsive to the needs of peers. :-)

As I said elsewhere, I'm so used to being so "far out" that I know ideas 
like self-replicating space habitats and so on are not things the world is 
ready for yet. :-( And I would not ask people to go out on a limb for stuff 
like that.

It's nice to be able to just promote (at least for a couple of days) a 
straightforward and inexpensive idea like treating widespread Vitamin D 
deficiency, one with immediate acceptability and practicality and closely 
linked to emerging science. :-)

Anyway, I know we agree on the Vitamin D issue at least. :-)

--Paul Fernhout
http://www.pdfernhout.net/