Wholistic Pediatrics- Berger, MD, FAAP

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From: info@...To: badillo9@...Sent: 9/13/2009 1:10:24 P.M. Eastern Daylight TimeSubj: 2009 Flu/Vaccine Update, Upcoming Events and Vitamin D Pregnancy/Autism Study

Wholistic Pediatrics- Berger, MD, FAAP Flu/Vaccine Update, Upcoming Talks, and Recruiting for new Autism/Vitamin D study

Flu/Vaccine UpdateHi Everyone,As the 2009 Flu Season is upon us, I wanted to write up an update. All of the information that was first posted in April on our webpage on preventing and treating the flu (Wholistic Pediatrics Flu Update) is still applicable.There have been many questions coming into our office about the flu vaccine. This year, there will be a vaccine available for both the annual/seasonal flu as well as for the H1N1 "Swine" flu. There are standard recommendations for the Seasonal flu vaccine, set forth by the CDC, which can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/protect/keyfacts.htm. The CDC also recommends that children between 6 months old and 8 years old receive 2 doses of the vaccine, 1 month apart, if they have never received a flu shot before. At this point there is no reason to suspect that the 2009 version of the flu vaccine is any more or less safe than the one produced every year. It is yet unknown if this will be a year where the vaccine researchers "get it right" in terms of whether the strains they decided to put in the vaccine will be the ones that actually appear in our communities. The seasonal flu vaccine is available at this time, in both the injected and nasal spray form. Some doses of the injected form contain full doses of thimerosal (mercury), while others do not. I would not assume that a vaccine is mercury-free, and the package insert should be viewed by the consumer prior to administration of the vaccine. The nasal spray form of the vaccine (FluMist) does not contain thimerosal. If given the choice between the injected or nasal spray forms of the vaccine, unless it was contraindicated, I personally would opt for the FluNist (for more information on the FluMist, CLICK HERE). My justification for this is that the nasal spray exposes people to the virus in the same way that the virus occurs in nature, so the immune response in the person, in terms of the white blood cell and antibody responses, follows the pattern that occurs naturally.The later into the flu season, the more difficult it will be for us to get thimerosal free or nasal spray form of the flu vaccine. If anyone is interested in receiving either form of the vaccine, please contact our office as soon as possible. We will be placing orders based on the response to this letter.The H1N1 flu vaccine (which is separate from the Seasonal Flu Vaccine) will not be available until October, and until the safety studies have been released (and it is determined what types of additives will be in the H1N1 vaccine), I am reserving comments on this vaccine. I will say that if there are not the added ingredients that can alter the immune system (mercury, aluminum or squalene) then I would expect the H1N1 vaccine would have the same safety profile as the seasonal flu. I will send out another update once the safety studies and additive lists have been published.If anyone is going to receive either a seasonal or H1N1 flu vaccine, I would recommend giving the same supplements listed in the "Therapies for when coming down with Flu Symptoms" section of the flu article on our webpage as follows: For Vitamin A, give the stated doses twice a day, the day before, the day of, and the day after the vaccines (yes, for 3 days total, but no more). For the vitamin C, zinc, elderberry, and larix/echinacea, give the stated doses from 3 days before, the day of, and for 3 days after the vaccine. I would also have on hand the oscillococcinum, but this only needs to be used if there are flu-like symptoms seen after taking the vaccine.

8/27/09

The TIKVAH Special Needs Program at Tampa Jewish Family Services invites you to attend our upcoming TIKVAH Talk group. Tori Damjanovic, M.S., Developmental Specialist from the THRIVE Program at Easter Seals of Tampa, will speak on the topic of "Enhancing Your Child's Social Skills". She will discuss the six levels of development; how children learn through play; and social and communication goals for your child. This presentation benefits children with or with out special needs. Questions and Answers will follow her presentation. TIKVAH Talk will be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 from 7-9 p.m. at the Tampa Jewish Community Center. TIKVAH Talk is open to the community and a voluntary $5 donation is appreciated. CE's are now available for LCSWs, MFTs, MHCs (2.0 CE's for $20; BAP #1002 Exp. 3/2011). RSVP is preferred but not required. Please contact Lydia Abrams at x4109 or lydiaa@... for more information or to RSVP.Please feel free to pass this along to any other families or professionals that may be interestedFuture TIKVAH Talks:le Sutton, PhD, will discuss issues relating to the Autism Spectrum on Wednesday, October 22nd. Ruehl from Self-Reliance, Inc. of Tampa to speak in November (Subject and Date TBA).Dr will be giving a talk on Biomedical Therapies on January 20, 2010.

10/11/09Dr will be making his first presentation to the general assembly of the Defeat Autism Now! Conference, lecturing on "The Biological Plausibility of a Relationship between Vaccines and Autism". In addition to discussing the biomedical issues, Dr will also be discussing vaccine legislation, legal rights, and alternative/flexible schedules. The lecture is scheduled from 9-10AM on October 11th.

The 2009 Fall Defeat Autism Now Conference will be held in Dallas, TX from October 9th through October 12th. Full information will be available soon at www.defeatautismnow.com .

11/14/09Dr will be making his first presentation at the National Autism Conference, lecturing on "The Biological Plausibility of a Relationship between Vaccines and Autism". In addition to discussing the biomedical issues, Dr will also be discussing vaccine legislation, legal rights, and alternative/flexible schedules. This lecture will be held at 3PM on November 14th. This conference will be held in Weston (Fort Lauderdale), FL and the full conference runs from November 12th through November 15th. Updated information is available at www.nationalautismconference.org.We have made arrangements so that any Pediatrician in Florida can attend this Conference for free, so please pass this along to any Pediatricians you know.

Vitamin D-Autism Prevention Study Wholistic Pediatrics has been asked to be a recruitment and participation site for a new study that is investigating a potential role of Vitamin D deficiency in the development of Autism. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with many chronic conditions including weakened immunity, autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, and declining cognitive function and memory. It has been theorized that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and early childhood may contribute to children developing autism. This goal of this study is to see if vitamin D supplementation can prevent the recurrence of autism in siblings of families with at least one child with Autism, by recruiting mothers of children with Autism who then become pregnant. Vitamin D levels of the mother are collected during the pregnancy, the mother will then be started on vitamin D3, and then the baby will be assessed for Autism at 18-24 months of age. Please click here for more information about the treatment protocol and recruitment criteriaPlease contact our office at or info@... if interested in participating in the study. Dr recently completed an informal study of 75 patients, and found that ounly 3 out of the 75 children and pregnant woment had 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels in the optimal range. We are recomending that all people have their blood levels checked, with a desired goal of 70-80ng/ml. Full information about vitamin D deficiency and treatment can be found at www.vitamindcouncil.com.

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Berger, MD | Wholistic Pediatrics | 3341W Bearss Avenue | Tampa | FL | 33618