I’m a big fan of those alcohol-based gel hand sanitizers. I’m already a bit of a hypochondriac so I didn’t feel as weird this year when everyone started to use them during the H1N1 pandemic. After all, everyone knows they kill 99.9% of germs. Right? Well, um, sort of. The Wall Street Journal has a …

I’m sure most China expats and locals remember — and often quote — last month’s “news” that four Chinese people had died after getting the H1N1 vaccine. I felt that initial story was very misleading, as it provided zero evidence of a connection and stoked nationwide fears when most likely the deaths were coincidental, not …

There’s good news on the H1N1 front; it seems that the pandemic’s severity is less than initially feared. In fact, the worldwide numbers so far show that overall mortality is much less than the 1% we would see in the seasonal flu. There’s a good review of this from NPR. In other good news, those …

By now, everyone in Beijing is either: 1. recovered from having H1N1; 2. tired of hearing about H1N1; or 3. recovered and tired of hearing about it. But one common theme in discussions remains the uncertainty around the vaccine. Well, finally, there is a lot of real data last week that I wanted to share …

No, not the virus — the vaccine. My clinic received our shipment of vaccine for staff members, and I was first in line…of a very short line. Yes, many of my staff chose not to take the vaccine, as well as my wife and a majority of Chinese people polled. It’s humbling that I can’t …

There’s an interesting story today in the New York Times discussing China’s tough approach to fighting H1N1. Their quarantining procedures were some of the strictest in the world and provided a lot of well-publicized headaches for many. Some feel that this indeed did benefit China as it slowed down the spread and allowed China time …

Here’s a quick link to a good review from Medscape about the latest H1N1 information regarding hospitalizations and deaths. This latest paper was in November 4th’s JAMA. The gist is that hospitals are seeing complications at all age groups, including the elderly, which seemed previously to be partially immune. Here’s a good quote: “H1N1 has …

It’s almost like a tidal wave, this outpouring of fear and misinformation regarding flu vaccines. I hope to provide evidence-based data for people to review and provide a basis for a well-informed discussion. Here’s an update: regarding pregnant women, every reputable public health agency is not just recommending but strongly recommending that all pregnant women …

Wow, there’s a lot of heated debate about the H1N1 vaccine! Parents are being offered free vaccines for their schoolchildren here in Beijing, and we doctors are getting a lot of phone calls. Is there reason for concern? I hope that we all can at least review the most reputable sources of data and use …

So typical of modern medicine: one day a study says “try this”, the next week a new study says, “no, try that!” I am now guilty of the same thing. A month ago I quoted a study that said regular surgical masks didn’t work well against viruses. Well…now, of course there’s a new study which …

As H1N1 season progresses, there is growing evidence that H1N1 is a darker creature than initially hoped. In the link below is discussed recent CDC data showing how the death rates for H1N1 are the reverse of a typical seasonal flu. Usually, the elderly are most at risk and account for 90% of mortality. However, …

The H1N1 virus is full into its second wave all over the world. There has been a large increase over the last 2-3 weeks, including in China. There are some disturbing signs that this H1N1 virus is more dangerous to pregnant women and children than previously thought. With pregnant women, the risk of death from …