Don writes:
Hi Dr. Griffin,
I am 64 with several underlying conditions, and receive recommendations from my medical provider network that I should get a pneumococcal vaccine. I noticed there are several of them, so which one to get?
—
Thanks,
Don
Susan writes:
Dear Dr. Griffin,
I am planning an extended stay in Ecuador (3 to 6 months). Although no vaccines are required for US citizens to travel there, some are recommended by the CDC. The chikungunya vaccine is recommended for adults over 65, especially those with chronic health conditions, who will be engaging in outdoor activities at elevations below 7500 ft.
This vaccine was approved for use in the United States in November 2023. The CDC website says that it’s efficacy may be limited due to the difficulty in designing a good and large enough clinical trial.
I have always been a mosquito magnet. But I have no chronic health conditions, and I am likely to spend most of the time at higher elevations.
So, do you think that this vaccination is going to be necessary for me personally. And do you have thoughts about this disease and vaccine in general?
Thanks and let’s hope the wonderful CDC website survives the new administration.
Susan
Janet writes:
Dear Dr. Griffin,
I am a grandmother of a 2.5yo and an almost 6yo. My children got their routine vaccinations, but they were born before chickenpox vaccinations came around. At the time I didn’t understand how vaccinations worked and for my third child, born in 1984, I waited on the DPT because that’s when supposed links to autism were in the news. I thought I was being a responsible parent keeping my baby free from the pertussis vaccine. He did end up getting it because my doctor explained how serious the illness would be for him.
My grandkids have received two covid vaccinations, and this past early July they both had covid. My son got them flu shots yesterday. He told me that he decided that they’d have either a flu vaccine or a covid vaccine, but not both because it was too traumatic all around.
If you were going to choose one, which would you choose? Or would you provide an argument for pushing for both?
thanks
Janet
Nova Scotia, Canada
Suzanne writes:
Hello. Thank you for your weekly podcasts. I look forward to listening to them and feel
you only tell what science proves.
I am a little disheartened since listening to a podcast interview with former CDC Director, Dr. Robert Redfield. He mentioned a couple of things that has rocked my
covid world. The one that bothers me the most is relating both the MRNA vaccine and Covid infection to long covid. He mentioned the spike in either one is what causes
Long Covid. I was floored by this since I have had 8 MRNA and recently had Novavax.
I do have many more pains in my body the past couple of years. Is Dr Redfield legit? Is this true about the vaccines? I hope my mind can be of ease. I don’t think I will go back
to MNRA and I will only rely on Novavax even though I had to cross the border to the States from Canada and pay $199 USD out of pocket.
He said a few other things but this mostly has stuck in my mind.
Suzanne
Ontario, Canada