Here is Dr. Klotman’s Week 298 video address. My summary follows:

TEPHI (viral surveillance) Data

  • Wastewater levels of most respiratory viruses are up – including Adenovirus , Enterovirus D68, Parainfluenza virus 1, and RSV
  • Mpox is gradually decreasing, and Norovirus levels are up
  • This is the beginning of our Influenza season, but Influenza levels are not yet elevated
  • SARS-CoV2 (COVID) wastewater levels are still low

Vaccine Hesitancy

  • An FDA report of 10 childhood deaths recorded in the VAERS system of adverse events possibly attributable to COVID vaccine have done nothing for public health but cause concerns among parents. The report did not include any detail concerning these deaths and was not subject to any kind of rigorous review
  • An estimated 100 million children have taken COVID vaccine
  • Only 84% of Americans think that MMR vaccine is safe and effective. The vaccination level required to prevent Measles outbreaks is 95%. So, we’ll continue to see Measles in the US because of the 16-20% of people who will not vaccinate their kids
  • In 2024, 95,000 children died of Measles worldwide (WHO data)
  • Since 2000, 59 million deaths worldwide have been prevented by Measles vaccine (WHO data)

Flu Season

  • The seasonal flu vaccine strains typically get chosen in March – this is responsible for vaccine mismatches that occur since the virus can mutate from March to Flu season
  • We need to move to m-RNA vaccine for Influenza to get better matches between vaccine and circulating virus
  • H5N1 (Avian Flu) has now been documented in Texas coastal birds. While no human cases have been recorded in Texas, people are advised that cats who eat infected birds can develop fatal H5N1 disease
  • This year the US has seen 71 human cases of H5N1 influenza with 2 recorded deaths

My Comments: It turns out that my generation of 70-somethings is much more sanguine about vaccination and much more likely to get vaccinated than younger folks. My good friends and clinical colleagues Drs. AD Smith and Enrique Spindel have recently surfaced a number of studies regarding dementia and pre-dementia syndromes. They also observed that four vaccines have been found to be associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. These vaccines are the Shingles vaccine (varicella zoster vaccine), Pneumococcal vaccine, Influenza vaccine, and Tdap (Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis vaccines).

Recent studies show that cancer risk among people 70+ tends to flatten out rather than continue to increase. We geezers are more likely to develop neuro-degenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, FTD, MID, etc.) and perhaps cardio-vascular diseases. Well, everyone is eventually going to die of something.

I myself vote for a sudden, fatal, cerebrovascular event!

By: llcPosted on