[BobbyB]

MDA: Agency offers flu shots
Daily Record/Sunday News
Article Last Updated: 10/05/2007 04:46:24 AM EDT


Oct 5, 2007 — Continuing a service it has provided for decades, the Muscular Dystrophy Association is again offering flu shots to people who have any of more than 40 neuromuscular diseases.
Such muscle-wasting diseases, especially those that progress in severity, can damage muscles involved with breathing. Catching the flu is particularly hazardous for those with muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

For information about obtaining a flu shot for someone with a neuromuscular disease, call the MDA office in Harrisburg at 540-4316 or visit MDA's Web site at http://www.mda.org.

[BobbyB]

Arguing against flu shot a disservice to public
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A recent letter has been written about a concern regarding mercury in the flu immunization (``People should be told about mercury in shots,'' YourViews, Oct. 18). Everyone should be made aware that mercury exists in different forms. The mercury in the food chain is methylmercury. The mercury in the preservative Thimersol is ethylmercury.

Ethylmercury is processed differently in the human body and is much less likely to accumulate than methylmercury.

Everyone should also be made aware of some facts about influenza.

Influenza is a seasonal respiratory infection that will infect between 5 percent and 20 percent of the population. Over 200,000 people will be hospitalized and approximately 36,000 will die from this infection in the United States annually.

Those at highest risk are the elderly, young children and people with certain health conditions. Immunization is our best way to prevent this infection.

The very real risk of influenza-associated illness or death makes this very small amount of mercury inconsequential - particularly considering its form.

Those who advocate avoidance of influenza immunization are doing a real disservice to the public making them reluctant to get the immunizations they need to protect their health. Please talk to your doctor and get his or her advice!

Larry Dowden

El Paso
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