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Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Demystifying science, for our own good
Opinion While we live in the most literate culture in history, science literacy continues to plummet in North America, especially among adults. We learn about science (sort of) in school, but whatever most people have learned is left behind at graduation The general public's lack of knowledge about science will have increasingly tragic consequences, however, if that trend is not reversed. A couple of weeks ago now, I went to a book event at the University of Manitoba for The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science, by Dr. Peter Hotez. Hotez is a vaccine scientist, biochemist and pediatrician from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He was in conversation with Dr. Jillian Horton, local author of We Are All Perfectly Fine: A Memoir of Love, Medicine and Healing. It was a fascinating hour on a timely topic, especially as we watch the number of measles cases increase, often in communities where parents have not immunized their children. Hotez discussed themes from his book, such as anti-vaccination activism, and the threats he (and his family) faced for his work on life-saving vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Noting that anti-vaxxers are only one dimension of a growing anti-science movement, he talked about the dangers this movement poses, especially in the United States, estimating that 200,000 more people died, unnecessarily, from COVID-19, because they refused available vaccinations. The anti-science movement is rooted in an increasing distrust of public institutions and the experts (like Hotez) associated with them. That distrust is reflected in various ways: Cries for 'medical freedom' are unabated by all those new (and unnecessary) cases of measles among unvaccinated people. Climate change denial persists, despite the accumulation of clear and alarming evidence that a heating planet will cause the death of millions of people, along with the sixth mass extinction of other species. This interesting event attracted fewer than 30 people, however — including the security staff — though it was held in a lecture theatre that seats 250. There was very little publicity at either UM campus; I only learned about it by accident, browsing a display in the university bookstore. Whether this lack of advertising was deliberate or not, the poor turnout speaks to how science has become a 'black-box problem' for the average citizen, and too contentious a subject (I fear) for our universities to debate in public spaces with free access and an open mic. A black-box problem is one where there are clear inputs, and definite outputs, but the process between them is hidden inside a black box. Some people claim to understand what goes on inside the box — we can call them 'experts.' Everyone else has to trust the experts' interpretation and accept whatever comes out of that black box as being true, correct, or whatever. If you don't understand what is in that black box, you have to trust the experts who do. So, on the one hand, we have scientists, who understand the processes involved and make the obvious connections between vaccination and not dying from a disease; or increasing CO2 levels, global warming and climate catastrophes. On the other hand, we have public figures (not scientists) telling people that these experts should not be trusted, that their version of what the black box tells us is wrong, and you should not believe what they say. Each side claims to know what is in the black box and what it means. So, we are forced to choose whom we trust, which people we should believe. We have apparently transformed issues of scientific information, knowledge and wisdom into issues of belief, expecting people to demonstrate faith rather than understanding in the choices they make. By doing this, we make a religion out of science, turning scientists into priests, and dividing the public between groups of believers and non-believers. Logic, method and evidence go out the window, and inflammatory rhetoric based upon opinion takes their places. For those wanting to manipulate public opinion to gain (or maintain) power or wealth, such general ignorance about science is (literally) a gold mine. What universities should be doing, for everyone in society (and not just for a few of their students), is opening that black box and revealing what is inside. But arts or business students learn nothing about science, while science students learn nothing from their humanities electives that helps them understand how science relates to society. We need programs in science, technology and society studies (or STS, found elsewhere but never in Manitoba) in which students and the general public can engage creatively with the crucial questions that will determine our collective future. We especially need universities to be institutions of learning for the general public, not just (for a short time) for those few who are fortunate enough to attend them. We need to open that black box of science and learn what we need to make important choices, based on evidence and for the right reasons, together. Our future literally depends on it. Peter Denton writes from his home in rural Manitoba.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health officials encouraging Manitoba parents to vaccinate children as province hits 20 confirmed cases
Manitoba public health officials are encouraging parents to immunize their children against measles as the province's total climbed to 20 confirmed cases and four probable cases of the disease on Wednesday. Health officials say low immunization rates in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region have contributed to the recent spike in cases and possible exposures around Winkler in southern Manitoba. Dr. Davinder Singh, medical co-lead for Manitoba Health's immunization program, told CBC News that vaccination is the best way to guard against infection. "It's within people's control to do something about this and the most effective thing by far to get immunized. So if, for whatever reason, you didn't get immunized up to now, now is the perfect time to get your first immunization," Singh said. "You can help protect yourself, your family, and your community by doing so," he said. The measles vaccine, often given as part of the combined MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, is a two-dose series. The Manitoba government's website says children 12 months and older are currently eligible for two doses, but kids between six and 12 months can have one dose if they have travel plans for a "measles endemic country." The recent outbreak has public health officials "actively evaluating" whether to allow children under a year old to get their first dose, Singh said. "It could be changing in the near future," Singh said, adding there's no specific timeline for eligibility changes yet. In response to a province-wide measles outbreak in neighbouring Ontario, some health units in that province expanded their vaccination programs to include infants between six and 11 months earlier this year. Nearly a year ago, an unvaccinated child died in Hamilton, Ont. — the first measles death in the province since 1989. Dr. Peter Hotez, U.S.-based pediatrician and virologist, told CBC News that measles is "one of the most highly contagious viruses we know about" and is more likely to spread anywhere childhood immunization rates dip below 90 per cent. Earlier this year, two unvaccinated children died in Hotez's home state of Texas after they contracted measles. Most at risk are those who have not received the MMR vaccine — one of the "safest" and "most effective" vaccines we have, Hotez said — or are too young to be eligible. Ruth Grimes, a pediatrician and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, says she is "definitely fielding more questions" about the vaccine, especially from parents concerned about keeping their kids' immunizations up to date. A few years ago, she said she treated a child who had contracted measles and later developed pneumonia as a result. "Happily, that child did have a positive outcome. The difficulty is that you cannot predict who is going to have a good outcome and overcome it, and who who isn't," Grimes said. She said it's important for physicians to answer vaccine questions openly and honestly with patients and parents, while ensuring they understand the risks of not vaccinating. "Measles is a devastating infection," she said, adding that "ensuring that your immunizations are up to date" is the best way to prevent sickness and further spread. "It's all about trying to prevent the devastating complications and the risk of death from measles."
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Multistate measles outbreak leads to dangerous vitamin A toxicity
As a measles outbreak spreads across the United States, doctors are now seeing a new and unexpected danger: children getting sick from taking too much vitamin A. At Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, several unvaccinated children showed signs of liver problems after taking large amounts of vitamin A, according to Dr. Lara Johnson, the hospital's chief medical officer. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted vitamin A during the outbreak, even suggesting it might help prevent measles. But doctors say this isn't true. "If people have the mistaken impression that you have an either-or choice of MMR vaccine or vitamin A, you're going to get a lot of kids unnecessarily infected with measles. That's a problem, especially during an epidemic," Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN. "And second, you have this unregulated medicine in terms of doses being given and potential toxicities," Hotez said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the only proven way to prevent measles. It is 97% effective after two doses. Kennedy has said he encourages vaccines, but considers vaccination a personal choice. Vitamin A can be helpful for people with measles when given in the right dose by a doctor. But taking too much, especially without medical supervision, can be dangerous. Vitamin A is fat-soluble and can build up in the body. This can lead to dry skin, blurry vision, bone problems and liver damage. In pregnant women, it can even cause birth defects. Dr. Lesley Motheral, a pediatrician in Lubbock, said kids in Texas are generally well-nourished and don't need extra vitamin A. "Recovery for patients with acute toxicity can be rapid when the vitamin is discontinued," Motheral said. "Sadly, some of the more serious problems with vitamin A toxicity are not always reversible." The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a group representing supplement makers, also warned parents not to give their children high doses of vitamin A. "While vitamin A plays an important role in supporting overall immune function, research hasn't established its effectiveness in preventing measles infection. CRN is concerned about reports of high-dose vitamin A being used inappropriately, especially in children," it said in a statement. Johnson said some parents may be following questionable advice from social media or health influencers. "It's coming out of the health and wellness ... influencer industry that downplays the importance of vaccines and tries to promote various spectacular cures like ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine or vitamin A," Hotez added. In a recent interview with Fox News, Kennedy promoted a treatment plan that includes vitamin A, a steroid, an antibiotic and cod liver oil, but doctors say there's little to no proof this works for measles. The measles outbreak has now affected at least 378 people in 17 states, from Texas and New Mexico to Vermont, New York and Washington. More information The Mayo Clinic has more on measles, including symptoms and causes. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Boston Globe
03-03-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Six things we got wrong about COVID-19
To some, those changes read like flip-flops and contributed to a sharp decline in Americans' trust in science. But revisions like those are normal, experts said. 'This was a completely new disease,' said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Scientists based their initial recommendations on COVID-19's similarities to other viruses. And they prioritized saving lives, preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed and preserving protective equipment for essential workers. Scientists did, however, miss an opportunity to educate the public about uncertainty and to admit they could be wrong, Kuritzkes said. Advertisement We talked with infectious disease experts about early misconceptions about COVID-19 and how our understanding of the disease evolved from early 2020 until today. A woman walked out of JP Licks on Beacon Hill after grabbing take out a day after Governor Charlie Baker issued a stay at home advisory for all non-essential workers on March 24, 2020. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff MISCONCEPTION: COVID poses a low risk to the general public Though scientists said early on the In the early months of the pandemic, scientists assumed COVID would behave like other coronaviruses and mainly spread through close, prolonged contact. As studies emerged showing COVID was mainly transmitted through aerosols, guidance changed and the risk to Americans was understood as higher. 'Science advances by incorporating new information as it emerges, resulting in changes to recommendations,' said Kuritzkes. That doesn't mean people should be skeptical of scientists, but aware that information — and diseases — can evolve. For example, while the bird flu currently poses a low risk for humans because it hasn't spread from person-to-person, experts said the risk could change as time goes on and the virus acquires new mutations. MISCONCEPTION: COVID is not airborne Dr. Peter Hotez of Houston's Baylor College of Medicine said global scientists initially declaring that COVID was not airborne was the 'single biggest mistake that was made.' In March 2020, the World Health Organization posted on Twitter, now known as X: 'FACT: #COVID19 is NOT airborne,' adding that virus particles are 'too heavy' to hang in the air. Later, Advertisement FACT: The To protect yourself: -keep 1m distance from others -disinfect surfaces frequently -wash/rub your 👐 -avoid touching your 👀👃👄 — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) Experts said early recommendations about the virus were based on other coronaviruses, not the one that causes COVID-19. 'There's not many true airborne respiratory viruses that are transmitted [like COVID],' Hotez said. WHO didn't recognize the virus as airborne until late 2021. Misconception: You need to wash packages and groceries Initial belief that COVID mainly spread through close contact with large droplets led many to wash and disinfect anything that came in from outside, including packages and food, a practice Hotez called 'pretty much a waste of time.' In a YouTube Reflecting back on the video now, VanWingen said his advice came at a time when officials were working to 'flatten the curve' and operating with 'aggressive caution as things became more clear.' 'This was the first big pandemic that many of us in the healthcare field had to struggle through,' he wrote in an email to the Globe. 'Science was happening in real time at a fast pace as we worked to understand the virus and its impact.' While some COVID transmission could be linked to droplets, it turned out that this was a 'minor mode of transmission' compared to aerosol spread, according to Kuritzkes. Advertisement State Representative Chynah handed out face masks at Nubian Station in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, MA on April 29, 2020. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff MISCONCEPTION: People don't need to wear masks Partial knowledge of how COVID spread was also linked to The recommendation went viral with a February 2020 Tweet from then-Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who wrote, 'Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching Public health officials largely started recommending masking for everyone in early April 2020. Still, officials said earlier masking recommendations could have had a 'pretty profound impact' on the virus' spread. 'If there had been guidance and widespread adoption of masking early on, it is possible that many fewer people might have become infected,' Kuritzkes said. He added that an earlier appreciation of the ability of masks to prevent COVID could have also limited some of the widespread closures of businesses. Physician Alister Martin received one of the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine from RN Jennifer Lisciotti at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA on December 16, 2020. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff MISCONCEPTION: Vaccines will take years to create COVID-19 vaccines — which were first The speed at which the COVID vaccine was developed has been a In reality, the reason for the shortened timeline was that mRNA vaccines had been in the works for years before COVID erupted. 'We were extraordinarily lucky, and we're lucky that there had been a substantial investment in basic vaccine technology,' Kuritzkes said. Advertisement In 2023, two scientists were awarded the MISCONCEPTION: The pandemic will end when we reach herd immunity Now, experts agree society never reached 'herd immunity' as it was thought of initially. That's because vaccines and previous infections did not stop the virus from spreading, as initially believed. Vaccine makers also had trouble creating updated shots quickly enough to keep pace with the virus's evolution. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said vaccines provide 'incredible protection' against the virus in the first two months. But as immunity starts to fade, people become susceptible to COVID once again. 'What wasn't understood was the concept of waning immunity that we saw with other coronavirus vaccines,' he said. Vaccines did, however, make COVID-19 far less severe and allowed many of us to put the pandemic behind us. A young girl takes in a memorial in the front of Amaral's Central Market in Fall River on April 25, 2020. A beloved family-run business in Fall River, it has seen three members of the family die this month from COVID-19. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Emily Spatz can be reached at
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Amid growing Texas outbreak, how contagious is measles?
Measles has been spreading across the U.S. for the last several weeks, sickening people in at least nine states amid a growing outbreak in western Texas. Several people have been hospitalized and at least one unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas has died, marking the first U.S. measles fatality in a decade. Some may believe that measles is a harmless childhood illness that causes a fever and a rash, clearing after a few days. However, it can also lead to serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years old. Measles is highly contagious in a totally unprotected group. One infected patient would be able to spread the illness to an average of 18 people. MORE: Measles cases are rising in US as Texas outbreak grows. Should we be concerned? Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to humans. Just one infected patient can spread measles to up to nine out of 10 susceptible close contacts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Disease (CDC). "So, if you have a bunch of unvaccinated kids in the school or in a daycare, nine out of 10 would likely be infected," Dr. Peter Hotez, professor of pediatrics and molecular virology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told ABC News. "That's why you often see measles as your first breakthrough epidemic … once vaccination rates go down below 90% because this virus is so highly infectious and can transmit so easily." Another way to describe how contagious measles is its basic reproduction number (R0), a theoretical number that suggests how many people an infected patient may infect in a totally susceptible or unvaccinated population. The R0 for measles ranges from 12 to 18, meaning if no one had any immunity, an infected person could transmit the virus up to an average of 18 people. "Contrast that with the seasonal flu, and we're going through a pretty severe flu season," Dr. Nicholas Cozzi, EMS and disaster medicine medical director at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, told ABC News. "One person with the flu can infect up to three people. And so, measles, one of the most infective viruses that we have, can infect almost four times as many people as the flu." Hotez said that it takes a very small amount of virus, or a few measles virus particles, to infect somebody. It can be transmitted through direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes, according to the CDC. Measles virus can linger in the air and live on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left a room. MORE: MMR vaccine rates are lagging amid a rise in measles cases. Experts blame a discredited study. Hotez said this is why there was a recent concern when a person infected with measles visited two colleges campuses in Texas and visited establishments to have lunch and dinner. "So, each place that individual went, you had to worry that he or she left a trail of virus in the atmosphere," he said. "So even after that individual left, another unvaccinated individual walking into the restaurant or walking into the same classroom space where this visitor was at could become infected." Some people who contract measles may suffer severe complications as a result of infection. Those most at risk include children younger than age 5, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems. About in one in five unvaccinated people who contract measles are hospitalized and about one in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death in young children who get infected. About one in 10 children infected with measles develop ear infections as well, which can lead to hearing loss, according to Hotez. Additionally, about one out of every 1,000 children with measles will develop encephalitis -- which is the swelling of the brain and can lead to brain damage -- and one to three out of every 1,000 children with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications, the CDC says. In the decade before the measles vaccine became available, nearly all children contracted measles by age 15, according to the CDC. The federal health agency estimates that 3 to 4 million in the U.S. were sickened by measles every year, about 48,000 were hospitalized and about 400 to 500 people died. About 1,000 people suffered encephalitis. In 1963, the first measles vaccine became available, followed by an improved vaccine in 1968. CDC data show that cases fell from 385,165 confirmed cases in 1963 to 26,686 cases in 1973. In 1971, the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine became available and, in 1989, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommended children receive a second MMR dose. By 2000, annual recorded cases had fallen to just 85 and measles was declared eliminated, meaning it was without continuous spread for at least 12 months. The CDC currently recommends that children receive two vaccine doses, the first at 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective. Most vaccinated adults don't need a booster. Cozzi, from Rush University Medical Center, described the MMR vaccine as a shield and measles as an enemy trying to pierce the shield with arrows. "So, if you're protected and you have that vaccine, you have a shield in front of you," he said. "And if something were to get past that shield, it may infect you, but it's less severe." MORE: 5 key questions about measles answered amid outbreak He noted that people who have the measles vaccine can still be infected. "However, just like the flu, their symptoms and their duration of illness is much less," he said. Cozzi said this is evident in Texas, where an outbreak is occurring. As of Friday, just five of the 146 cases were vaccinated – and with just one dose of the MMR vaccine. The remaining cases are among those who are unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status. Despite the protectiveness of the MMR vaccine, CDC data show vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years and the percentage of exemptions have risen. An October 2024 CDC report found that vaccination coverage among kindergartners decreased from 95.2% during the 2019–2020 school year to 92.7% in the 2023–2024 school year. While medical exemptions have held steady for the past decade between 0.2% and 0.3%, non-medical vaccine exemptions rose to 3.1% during the 2023-24 school year, which is the highest figure recorded in at least 13 years. Cozzi said there has been an increase in vaccine hesitancy after the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen some kindergartners not receiving the MMR vaccine. The same has been true of the polio and DTaP vaccines, with the latter protecting against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. "The onus is really on us as physicians and health care clinicians to have good, honest conversations with our families and our parents, discussing all of the positive things with vaccines -- hearing them, understanding their concern -- but still providing that proactive nature to prevent all of the severe infections like measles, especially the very devastating consequences that it can have, specifically for those unvaccinated individuals," he said. Amid growing Texas outbreak, how contagious is measles? originally appeared on
