Polls traced declining interest in H1N1 vaccine

If the trajectory of public opinion during the H1N1 influenza pandemic is any guide, safety worries and doubts about the severity of the disease threat may cause a good share of the public to shun vaccination the next time a pandemic emerges, according to a review of 10 months' worth of polls.

Surveys taken before the H1N1 vaccine became available showed that about half of the population planned to be vaccinated, but that fraction shrank considerably by the time the vaccine became readily available in December, says the report published online today by the New England Journal of Medicine. The main reasons for not wanting the vaccine were safety worries and a belief that it wasn't needed.

On the other hand, the polls suggested that most people heeded public health messages about other flu-prevention steps, such as hand washing, says the report by researchers from Harvard University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Also, pollsters found that a majority had a generally favorable impression of the governmental response to the pandemic.

The authors reviewed 20 polls conducted between April 2009 and January 2010, eight of them run by the Harvard School of Public Health for the CDC and the rest by news organizations and polling institutes.

Early in the pandemic, surveys indicated that most Americans were following the public health advice to wash their hands more often and to prepare to stay home if they got sick. About 35% of respondents said they had avoided being near people with flu-like symptoms.

Before the vaccine became available, 46% to 57% of respondents said they planned to be vaccinated, and 59% to 70% of parents intended to have their children immunized.

For adults who said they would not or might not seek vaccination, the top three reasons cited in September were concern about side effects (30%), doubt about the risk of getting a serious case of flu (28%), and a belief that they could get drug treatment if they did get sick (26%). Safety concerns and doubts about the disease risk continued to be major deterrents to vaccination in December and January, the polls showed.

The surveys also documented that few people who wanted the vaccine succeeded in getting it in October and November, when the doses began trickling out to providers. By early November, 17% of adults had tried to get vaccinated, but only 30% of them succeeded. Among adults in high-priority groups, 21% sought the vaccine, but 66% of them failed, the polls found. About 40% of parents sought the vaccine for their children, but two thirds of them failed.

By the time states began offering the vaccine to everyone in mid-December, interest in it was ebbing, the polls showed. The proportion of people concerned about getting sick dropped to 40% at that point, from a peak of 51% to 59% in October and November.

The share of parents who had at least one child vaccinated reached 35% in December and 40% in January, figures well above those for adults seeking the vaccine for themselves. Among adults who had talked with a health care practitioner about the vaccine, 53% said the practitioner had recommended it and 17% said the opposite.

Through the whole period studied, a majority of Americans had a good impression of the government's response, the polls showed. In the early days, 54% thought the response was appropriate, while 39% saw it as an overreaction. By January, 59% endorsed the response, while 39% called it fair or poor.

The report says the public's two main concerns about the response were displeasure with the vaccine shortage and, in the early phase of vaccine distribution, worry that the government hadn't done enough to ensure the vaccine was safe.

The Separated twin girls to be discharged next week

Conjoined twins Sita and Gita are ready to go home, a month after being separated in a 14-hour long surgery. According to doctors, the twins have recuperated completely and will be discharged next week.

They were born fused, had common intestinal and urinary tracts. Parts of their pelvises, spines, hipbones and legs were also fused. Finally, the twins have recovered from the surgery and are ready to go home, separated.

Doctors of Batra hospital have tied up with a private hospital in Patna, where the twins will get free medical treatment. The daughters of a daily wager, Subhash Mukhiya, and Nirmala Devi, Sita and Gita hail from Bhawanipur Kushwaha village in Bihar’s East Champaran district.

The 14-hour long surgery involved separating their spines and pelvises as also the intestines followed by splitting of the common anal canal (faecal tract). The anal openings, the vaginal openings and the urinary tracts were then reconstructed and skin defects closed using constructed skin flaps. A team of 27 specialists including paediatric surgeons, critical care specialists, orthopaedics and plastic surgeons were involved in conducting the surgery.

Surgeries to separate conjoined twins have been few and far between. Very few cases have been successfully operated upon worldwide and in India the number of such surgeries performed is almost negligible.

Air Pollution can kill your Heart !

A new study is trying to make an effort to study the impact of air you breathe on your heart.

The doctors have drawn substantial links between heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, to what we breathe besides our eating habits.

Places experiencing heavy traffic are now considered a much stronger cause of health problems, and what your lungs can handle, your heart may not.

The doctors feel that the lungs are able to handle more pressure than the heart. So polluted air causes mire threat to your heart than to your lungs.

Breathe fresh air to avoid any possibility of an heart attack.

We must invest in Mother's Health

I wish all my readers a Very Happy Mother's Day. It is our duty to respect and love our mother, who has given this wonderful opportunity to us to enjoy the moments of life.

A report by the NGO ranks India as the highest in the world in terms of shortfall of health workers. The report calls for investment in female health-care workers to address the shortfall needed to save the lives of mothers, newborn babies and kids.

More care should be taken regarding the health status of women and mothers.

Eat Almonds - Stay Fit

Fortunately, the delicately flavored and versatile almond is available throughout the year to make a healthy and tasty addition to both sweet and savory dishes. Although packaged almonds are available year round, they are the freshest in mid-summer, which is when they are at the height of their season.

Eating a handful of almonds a day as part of a healthful lifestyle may lower "bad" cholesterol levels and help reduce risk of heart disease. One of the studies presented is a first-of-a-kind analysis of several existing almond studies. The analysis of the body of studies as a whole showed resounding results of almonds’ ability to lower total and LDL or "bad" cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. The study consistently showed that people who eat roughly one handful of almonds (1 ounce) a day may significantly reduce total and LDL cholesterol.

Almonds are packed with protein and help to prevent diseases such as gallstones, type 1 diabetes, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cholesterol and aid weight loss. They are a good source of manganese, copper and vitamin B2 which help to fight against the health damaging free radicals and increase oxygen-based energy production which promotes the antioxidant molecule, glutathione.

Concentrated food for Healthy Body

Concentrates haven't always been harbingers of good health. Remember the days spent stirring (and stirring) a frozen log of orange juice in a pitcher of cold water until it dissolved into an ice-cold sugar bomb that you promptly drained? Not-from-concentrate is now all the rage at grocery stores, but in the supplement world concentrated powders and pills derived from extracting nature's vital elements might be the best way to feed your body to meet specific training goals. These six supplements not only represent some of the best extracts on the market but require little if any stirring.

A FISH CALLED DHA

Not everyone enjoys eating fish, or the way the house smells when you cook it. Yet the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are critical for numerous reasons, not the least of which are muscle growth and fat loss. One key fat with these potent effects is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

While flaxseeds and walnuts are good whole-food options, they don't provide DHA directly. Instead they yield alpha-lipoic acid, an omega-3 fat that must be converted to DHA in the body, and unfortunately this conversion isn't always plentiful. The good news is that fish oil provides key fats without any conversion needed. Your best bet is to supplement directly or take a high-yield DHA product.

BEST FOR: Fat loss, muscle growth, joint recovery and cardiovascular health

TRY IT: 1-3 grams of a fish-oil supplement 2-3 times per day or 500-1,000 mg of DHA in two divided doses

Take Care of Your Digestive System

In this article, I'm going to suggest a few steps that are likely to yield a much better result. And, of course, reading this article is free.

First, have your doctor evaluate your particular issue. This is always the first step. Consider getting a second opinion. If doctors can't help much, keep reading.

Second, do your own research on the internet. Be cautious though--there's a lot of health advice on the internet that is wrong or even dangerous.

Third, eat a healthy diet. This is essential. "Don't eat man made foods." Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid candy, cookies, chips, foods made from white flour and other junk foods.

Fourth, exercise. This can be as easy as walking up a few flights of stairs at work, riding your bicycle or jogging.

Fifth, consider whether or not you are creating your own problem as a result of the pills you are taking. The offending pills can be illegal drugs, over the counter medications, excessive vitamins or other supplements, or even the medication that is being prescribed by your doctor!

Don't allow yourself to worry about your digestive problems. I know that's a lot easier said than done. However, worrying will only make things worse. In fact, if you spend a lot of time worrying, that may make any real progress impossible!

Finally, pray. And get others to pray with you and for you. God is fully capable of doing miracles today. And He does.

So these are my suggestions. I think, if you follow these steps, you can make real progress--even if you've suffered with these issues for a very long time.

Remedies and Natural Cures for Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a condition in which a person experiences a frequent watery stool against the normal stool or you can say that a person undergoes a loose stool frequently. Diarrhea itself is a disease under different condition or it is being related with the various digestive problems and it is one of their symptoms.

When it lasts for 2-3 days, then it is not considered to be in a serious condition but if it lasts for more than 2 weeks and also it is painful then in that case you must consult to a physician.

Symptoms of Diarrhea: Few main symptoms of diarrhea are fever, sometimes stool with blood, nausea, loose or watery stools and sometimes diarrhea is also associated with abdominal pain.

Types of Diarrhea: Basically there are two types of diarrhea - acute diarrhea and chronic diarrhea.

1. Acute diarrhea: This type of diarrhea doesn't require any intensive medication. It lasts for less than 3-4 weeks and it is cured normally.

2. Chronic diarrhea: Usually this type of diarrhea is caused due to some infection and it continues for more than month and even it can continue up to a year. Few main causes of chronic diarrhea are bowel cancer, alcohol consumption for long time, poor digestion of food etc.

Causes of Diarrhea

1. Due to the after affect of some medicines

2. Use of laxatives like magnesium, cascara etc. and the other chemicals in day to day life

3. Excess intake of alcohol

4. Bacterial and viral infection

5. Reaction against the intake of some food

Natural Cures and Home Remedies for Diarrhea

1. Water is very essential for our body so make a habit to drink plenty of water and fluids. You can go for drink like carrot juice as this drink improves the consistency of stool. Avoid alcohol and caffeine.

2. Prefer to eat the preparation made of rice and light food without oil and spices.

3. For mild diarrhea you can also take blackberry tea.

4. Increase the intake of yoghurt but totally avoid milk as well as dairy product.

5. You can take ginger capsules to reduce this problem and even the ginger tea can stop the cramps and pain.

6. For many digestive ailments charcoal is excellent.

7. Increase the intake of soluble fiber which is found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

8. Take a glass of water and squeeze two lemons in it and add half tea spoon of baking powder and drink it as soon as it foams.

Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention - Allergies

Allergy Causes: Our immune system contains two types of lymphocytes (B-cells and T-cells) that protect our body from any external attack. On recognition of a foreign substance, B-cell converts itself into a plasma cell and starts producing antibodies to destroy the foreign particles/substances. The plasma cell produces five basic antibodies which are: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM (these antibodies are called Immunoglobulin i.e. Ig to destroy the foreign substance and antibodies produced by it. Among the antibodies produced by the plasma cell, the antibody that causes allergic reaction is IgE. These IgE antibodies attach themselves to mast cells and basophils that produce anti-infection substance histamine. The IgE antibodies recognizes the foreign harmful substance and reacts with the protein markers attached to these harmful substances causing a chain reaction and destruction of the harmful substance. The above mentioned mechanism of foreign harmful substance destruction works perfectly fine in a normal person. But in case of a person suffering from allergy for a particular substance, the lymphocytes fail to recognize a foreign harmless particle leading to the production of IgE antibodies in very large quantities. Theses IgE antibodies attach themselves to the basophils and mast-cells. As this causing substance comes into contact, the IgE antibodies cause destruction of mast-cells and basophils leading to excessive secretion of histamine (which is released in blood by the destroyed basophils and mast-cells) in body.

Allergy symptoms: The above mentioned situation leads to the blood vessel expansion causing low blood pressure in the person. At times, the low blood pressure is almost negligible, but in many cases, it becomes major. Along with low blood pressure, the person may also witness symptoms like sneezing, diarrhea, wheezing, itching of entire body or a particular organ, skin reaction such as rashes, irritation and skin inflammation, swelling of a particular organ and queasiness etc.

Allergy Treatment: Even if your allergist can tell you that you are allergic to some substance, no diagnostic test can be 100% sure about the substance you are allergic to. Allergists use combination of various tests to confirm an allergy causing substance. Scratch/Patch Test (In this test, a solution of possible this causing substance and water is applied on skin of the person and the skin surface is scratched with the help of a needle. If the person is allergic to the substance, then his/her body will develop any of the (symptoms), Elimination Diet/Food Challenge Test and Blood Test are the most commonly used diagnostic tests. Along with the above tests, allergist may also consult your personal and medical history, your physical condition etc. in diagnosis of allergy.