Once again, December is chugging along with Covid cases ticking upwards across the country. A handful of my friends are currently sick with Delta, and many more are stuck in quarantine from an exposure. Omicron is all over the news and it now seems almost certain that this variant is both more contagious and better at evading existing immunity than any strain we've seen thus far. It's easy
Vaccines
Why I’m Going to Give My Kids the Covid Vaccine
Covid is again weighing heavily on me--after months of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! I'm sure many of you are feeling similar anxiety about what this means for the coming school year. I will be doing all the prevention measures we already know to work: Running my air filter. Taking elderberry syrup. Sanitizing my hands. Wearing a mask in crowded places. That said, I am convinced
The Privilege to Fret Over Antibiotics, Vaccines, Chlorinated Water & Pasteurized Milk
Did anyone read this article about how human life expectancy has basically doubled over the last hundred years? Of note: we can now expect to live to around 79 instead of only 41 thanks to four key discoveries/interventions--ALL of which are things I worry about! 1. Vaccines You've probably heard about the rudimentary way that we figured out how to inoculate people against smallpox--by scraping
COVID-19 Vaccine: Thoughts from a scientist, an MD, two (semi) anti-vaxxers…and me!
UPDATE #1: Video here with my response to some of your comments. UPDATE #2: Here are our thoughts on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. UPDATE #3: No, this is not a sponsored post. (I've been asked by more than a few people if big pharma paid me!) When I asked you guys if you'd like to know my stance on the Covid-19 vaccine, including what my scientist husband thinks, I didn't
Questioning Vaccinations While Not Being a Kook
Let me start with this: I have chosen to vaccinate my children. That said, I’m annoyed by the media coverage of this issue and also by the viciousness coming from many pro-vaxxers. My anti-vax friends are pretty quiet these days (and I wish they wouldn’t be), but not so with the pro-vaxers. These moms are not only keeping their kids out of playgroups---even here in New York City where there is
Why I Hate the Vaccine Debate
If you are a regular reader of mine, you might notice the conspicuous lack of posts about vaccines (lots of you email me asking my opinion, so I know some of you wish I would be vocal about this!). Admittedly, one of the reasons I haven't gone there with vaccines is that it's such a loaded issue. I have friends, readers, and clients on both sides of the debate who believe with utter conviction