By Gilbert Ross, M.D.
Posted: Monday, March 17, 2008

LETTER
Publication Date: March 17, 2008

This letter appeared on March 17, 2008 in the Los Angeles Times:

To the Editor:

The article about expanding the pool of influenza vaccine candidates to those aged six months to seventeen years might distract parents' attention from the real benefits of getting their kids vaccinated ("Advisory on more kids' flu shots spurs questions"). While the total number of youngsters who succumb to the flu is not large, and it is unclear how many lives would be saved by the vaccine, that is beside the point. The larger picture should include the prevention of severe illness requiring doctor visits, blood tests and hospitalizations, with benefits including relief of suffering and massive savings for the healthcare system. The highly likely impact on the 36,000-plus annual death toll among seniors of stopping the "snotty-nosed transmitters" from passing on the often-deadly virus to their grandparents is also a major benefit.

Better still, there is no downside. The vaccine is safe, despite your gratuitous reference to the unfortunate swine flu episode of 1976, in which ill-advised government panic led to inadequately tested vaccine being unleashed on the public, with unfortunate (albeit still quite rare) complications.

Let's not quibble about this long-overdue decision.


Gilbert Ross, M.D.
New York

The writer is executive and medical director of the American Council on
Science and Health.