August 14, 2023

This Week

• Top of Mind - COVID Pandemic Increasing Scrutiny of Vaccines
• Black Americans Don't Trust the Health Care System
• Belly Fat Is Not Always Bad
• It's Time to Stop Talking About Social Determinants of Health and Do Something
• COVID Update
• How To Make Sure Your Children Are Adequately Vaccinated for School
• Book of the Month: Queenie Gets Her Shots

Top of Mind

The Coronavirus pandemic increased scrutiny of all vaccines like never before. The fact that we have had over 14 different vaccines for children, soon to be 15 with RSV, and they have protected millions of children from diseases that were once more common and deadly are now often lost in the shuffle.

In my lifetime, childhood vaccines have long been a cornerstone of public health, protecting people from serious infectious diseases like Measles, Polio and Tetanus. I remember these diseases and the harm they caused children of all ages. As a pediatrician, my office used to see almost 60 patients a day, many of them very sick. Vaccines have definitely cut into the profit margin by providing that much needed protection. 

But the pandemic made people even more aware of the childhood vaccines. Too often misinformation creates an environment where every vaccine is now challenged as a dangerous drug and often those voices are more powerful than ours.

It's time for doctors to speak up in favor of childhood vaccinations. Vaccines need champions and for those of you who are not advocates of vaccinating children, be careful what you wish for. As my grandmother used to say  “you don't miss the water till the well runs dry”.

Stay Healthy,

Dr. Mike

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Several studies coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that Black Americans resisted vaccination initially not because of Tuskegee, but because they did not trust the doctors or way in which they were treated in the present health care system. 

Researchers from the Urban Institute found that 22% of Black parents and their children faced unfair judgment and mistreatment based on their race or ethnicity. It surpasses any other ethnic group by 10%. This new information reinforces the importance of setting up your own health system before you even need it. 

For more information, visit our website at www.aawellnessproject.org.

New findings from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggest that naturally occurring variations in our genes can lead some people to store their belly around the waist while protecting them from diabetes. What a relief!

I am fascinated, as a doctor, how quickly social determinants of  health have taken over as the primary reason people of color have health outcomes that are worse than the rest of America. I don't doubt that is true and that this is a a major contributing factor but, how will we correct those in time to save millions of Black and Brown Americans. Fixing poverty, violence in neighborhoods, lack of education, homelessness, nutrition inequities is no small feat.

This week's New England Journal of Medicine article has laid out a way in which these determinants might be addressed. Doctors should handle the integration of social services along with the medical problems. I quote “Clinicians face increasing demands on the limited time available during patient visits — a problem that is often cited as a central barrier to expanding efforts to consider social determinants in health care settings”. Good luck with that!

New COVID-19 vaccines are coming to the U.S. this Fall — but many Americans may not take them. Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are slated to deliver new single-strain coronavirus shots targeting the new omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 in September. Only about 17% of the U.S. population — around 56 million people got the shot last year.

There were still 519 people dying each week from COVID-19. It is recommended most, for patients over 65, and I'm way over that..so I'm getting it.

But don't get it just yet. If you do, you might not get the latest version of protection against the newest variants and you might has lost your protection before the peak of the season.

Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade must have all their Polio, D-Tap, Hep-B, MMR and Varicella doses. If your child is on a normal vaccine schedule and hasn't missed any appointments they should have met this requirement before they turned 5. Once they reach 7th grade they need a Tetanus Booster or T-Dap.

Since its release in February 2023, "Queenie Gets Her Shots" has touched the lives of over 7,000 readers in the East Oakland-Hayward community and beyond. Penned by Section President Jennifer King and brought to life with captivating black-centric illustrations by Dr. Ajuan Mance, this 26-page coloring book follows Queenie, a spirited five-year-old eager to start school. When faced with vaccinations, she hesitates and adopts a "No shots" stance. However, her brother Miles, along with friends Duc and Isabel, help her overcome these fears by highlighting the significant contributions of Black men and women to U.S. immunization history.

Promoting the book at the NMA National Convention and Scientific Assembly in New Orleans was a resounding success. Attendees were charmed by Queenie's story, appreciating the vital message of vaccine education. This community service project addresses vaccine hesitancy, particularly among people of color, and emphasizes the rich contributions of the Black community to healthcare advancements. Contact NCNW at eohncnw.org to order copies and join the movement. Together, let's empower our communities with knowledge and dispel vaccination fears!

For more information, go to our website at www.aawellnessproject.org. or listen to our podcast at Blackdoctorsspeak.org on any podcast platform.

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DR. MIKE'S ETHNIC HEALTH REPORT