[Allergy & Asthma Corner]

The combination of the decrease in H1N1 flu incidence and deaths, combined with abundant vaccine has led to a marked fall off in getting H1N1 vaccination. It seems when health clinics were in short supply of the vaccine, everyone wanted it. My how times have changed. The vaccine supplies initially seemed to trickle in despite the promises to have anticipated amounts arrive by early fall. In the last 2 months H1N1 vaccine has been at a surplus in many clinics and pharmacies.

H1N1 is not much talked about as other headliners lead the way in the day to day media. Yet there are individuals all over the country that continue to contract this potentially deadly virus and on occasion succumb to the worst of consequences (death). There have been 13,000 deaths worldwide leading some to believe H1N1 falls grossly short of being a pandemic. But according to Dr. Fukuda of the World Health Organization, H1N1 indeed is in pandemic proportions. A pandemic is defined as a worldwide spread of disease. Although this pandemic has not been as severe as others, the potential for escalation of death rates persists as long as it hangs around.

Bottom Line:

Get vaccinated if you are more than 6 months of age and not allergic to previous flu vaccination or egg. There is a way to get the flu vaccine despite being egg allergic (see below).

Here is a link discussing some myths about H1N1 vaccine: Click Here!

Egg allergic but need to be vaccinated to H1N1? Click Here!

What's Stopping You From Getting H1N1 Vaccine?

Did you know a treatment for allergic rhinitis that has been around for almost 100 years has recently been shown to decrease overall health costs for children by more than 30% and prescription costs by 16%?

The link below reviews the findings from a research article posted in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

I have witnessed several hundreds of patients, adults and children, enjoy a significant upgrade in the quality of their life, after having a course of immunotherapy (allergy shots). Some adults have to be convinced to go off after they have been on them for a number of years. They are often hesitant to stop something that has reduced their medication needs and made them feel normal.

Allergy shots are not a cure for allergic rhinitis and asthma but currently they are the best means for inducing a remission period. Many people experience several years of improved allergy control after allergy shots have been stopped.

Here is the article: (click here)

Here are other postings about allergy shots: (more about immunotherapy)

We are approaching a time of the year usually referred to as the "dog days of winter". A time when the holiday season along with it's good cheer and euphoria become distant memories, and the reality of "old man winter" settles upon us. Cough, cold and flu season continues to hang around, often picking up steam as a result of the hoilday gatherings that took place in the preceding weeks.

I reviewed some survival tips for midwinter last January. Here is the link: (click here)