Steve writes:
Greetings Daniel and Vincent,
Here is a situation that has puzzled me for a while. Why is the placebo for vaccine trials always a saline solution? It seems to me that the most appropriate control/placebo should be a solution with any adjuvant, preservatives, and stabilizes minus the inactive viruses, antigen, or mRNA. Can you explain the idea of using saline as the placebo and not a shot minus the antigen producing substance?
Thank you,
Steve
[Ha! Its rarely saline]
Lisa writes:
Dr. Griffin,
Thank you so much for the Clinical Updates!
I am of a vintage where I didn’t get the MMR as a set, I got a measles vaccine, a rubella vaccine and a mumps vaccine in 1970 and another mumps vaccine in 1971. As part of my annual physical in recent years ran a lab test that showed I am immunized against all 3 of those diseases. Is it reasonable for me to rely on the results of that test to conclude there isn’t a need for me to go get an MMR? I’m dealing with an early cancer that hopefully can still be treated with surgery alone (but of course pre-surgery I can’t be sure of the extent of treatment that will be needed) so I want to make sure that this year in particular I make decisions about whether to supplement my childhood vaccinations with a new MMR with as complete information as possible.
Lisa
Austin, Texas
Bob writes:
Florida is also known as heaven’s waiting room
Bob mccown MD
Apopka
Martha writes:
Dear Dr. Griffin,
Two US states have stopped fluoridating drinking water. My grandchildren in the Philippines drink bottled water. I believe that the value of fluoridation is settled science – it prevents tooth decay. Other than toothpaste with fluoride and sealants, what can be done for people to protect their teeth when they lack fluoride in their drinking water?
With much gratitude for your service,
Martha
Charleston, SC
JD writes:
Hi Daniel,
I’m a long-time TWiV listener and appreciated you recommending ProMED emails some time ago. ProMED has been such a great service. I used them to stay informed about notable infectious disease outbreaks in humans, animals, and plants around the world. Learning so much for free was incredible.
However, ProMED is switching to a premium subscription model that will only send email updates for $100/month. Someday, I may be able to support them but not anytime soon.
The sudden vacuum of ProMED makes your weekly clinical update even more important and valuable. I want to thank you and Vincent for all of the work you put into sharing this info with us for free every week. Is there an amount small donors need to collectively raise monthly to make sure the weekly clinical update keeps going? Maybe a split donation to Microbe.tv and Parasites Without Borders?
Best,
JD