Vitamin D and H1N1 Swine Flu

From The Vitamin D Newsletter
September 5, 2009

So far, Swine flu, H1N1, has killed thirty-six children in U.S. and analysis of CDC data indicates Vitamin D deficient children at higher risk of death.

I'm not sure I can do this, watch our children die this winter from what may be a preventable disease, influenza, I'm not sure I'm strong enough. A few minutes ago, the CDC issued a report on Swine flu deaths among children; thirty-six U.S. children dead so far this season and the season hasn't started yet. The dead children were much more likely to be Vitamin D deficient; but the CDC did not realize they discovered this. However, anyone familiar with the Vitamin D literature will recognize it.

The clue: almost two-thirds of our dead children had epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or other neurodevelopmental conditions like mental retardation. What do we know of these neurological conditions? All are associated with childhood Vitamin D deficiency; I wont bore you with the references but anyone who has ever cared for these children know it; anyone who has studied these diseases on Medline knows it; anyone who has one of these kids know it; these kids just don't go in the sun very much. If they do live at home and go outside, parents use sunblock because the child is so vulnerable, never robust. In addition to sunlight deprivation, many of these kids take anticonvulsant drugs, which lower Vitamin D levels.

One more thing, thirty-six dead kids so far this season and the season has not yet started. Over the last 4 years, around 100 American kids have died of the flu during flu season; this year the toll is 36 before the season has started.

Vitamin D and H1N1

From:John Cannell, M.D.

September 17, 2009

I'm writing to alert readers to a crucial email from a physician who has evidence vitamin D is protective against H1N1 and to ask you, the reader,to contact your representatives in Washington to help protect Americans, especially children,from H1N1 before winter comes.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

Your recent newsletters and video about Swine flu (H1N1) prompted me to convey our recent experience with an H1N1 outbreak at Central Wisconsin Center (CWC). Unfortunately, the state epidemiologist was not interested in studying it further so I pass it on to you since I think it is noteworthy.

CWC is a long-term care facility for people with developmental disabilities, home for approx. 275 people with approx. 800 staff. Serum 25-OHD has been monitored in virtually all residents for several years and patients supplemented with vitamin D.

In June, 2009, at the time of the well-publicized Wisconsin spike in H1N1 cases, two residents developed influenza-like illness (ILI) and had positive tests for H1N1: one was a long-term resident; the other, a child, was transferred to us with what was later proven to be H1N1.

On the other hand, 60 staff members developed ILI or were documented to have H1N1: of 17 tested for ILI, eight were positive. An additional 43 staff members called in sick with ILI. (Approx. 11-12 staff developed ILI after working on the unit where the child was given care, several of whom had positive H1N1 tests.)

So, it is rather remarkable that only two residents of 275 developed ILI, one of which did not develop it here, while 103 of 800 staff members had ILI. It appears that the spread of H1N1 was not from staff-to-resident but from resident-to-staff (most obvious in the imported case) and between staff, implying that staff were susceptible and our residents protected.

Sincerely,

Norris Glick, MD
Central Wisconsin Center
Madison, WI

Dear Dr. Glick:

This is the first hard data that I am aware of concerning H1N1 and vitamin D. It appears vitamin D is incredibly protective against H1N1. Dr. Carlos Carmago at Mass General ran the numbers in an email to me. Even if one excludes 43 staff members who called in sick with influenza, 0.73% of residents were affected, as compared to 7.5% of staff. This 10-fold difference wasstatistically significant(P<0.001). That is, the chance that this was a chance occurrence is one less than one in a thousand.

Second, if you read mylast newsletter,you will see that children with neurological impairments, like the patients at your hospital, have accounted for 2/3 of the childhood deaths for H1N1 so far in the USA. That is, the CDC knows, because they reported it, that patients with neurological impairments are more likely to die from H1N1.

The problem is that I cannot get anyone in authority at the CDC or the NIH to listen. I need readers to email or call their senators and congresspersons in Washington.

Ask your senator or congressperson to contact the CDC and NIH to complain about CDC and NIH inaction on Vitamin D and H1N1. Also, ask your senators and representative to demand congressional hearings on Vitamin D and H1N1, before it is too late. Here is the link below, just click it and follow instructions to contact your own representatives.

John Cannell, MD
President
Vitamin D Council
585 Leff Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93422

Swine Flu Protocol

Should you catch the swine flu this season, here is the protocol we are recommending to our patients.

Successful Battle Against Swine Flu

A friend from London had this to say after reading my post about the Swine Flu in England.

Dr. Joe

~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the BIG news from the sharp end of swine flu. I am NOT exaggerating. When my wife came down with all the symptoms last Thursday morning - nausea, sore throat, inflammation, headache, sore ear, fuzzy brain, etc. - I gave her a double dose of Mistica. Exactly twenty minutes later my wife came downstairs and informed me '' All the symptoms have gone! '' She was gobsmacked. I was a bit surprised myself. That's what one double dose of Mistica did.

My wife continued to work at home. Seven or eight hours later she informed me that she had the beginnings of a sore throat again, so I gave her another double dose of Mistica. Twenty minutes later she didn't have any sensation of a sore throat. At bedtime she took another dose of Mistica - and had an untroubled night's sleep. This is exactly how it has continued up until the present time, four days later.

And here's something else, I caught the swine flu on Thursday from my wife and have followed the same routine with Mistica and Vitamin D (50,000 IU several times a day). Despite the fact that I'm a Type 1 diabetic with CHD (a heart attack five years ago) I have suffered no symptoms except a faint throat and ear pain every seven or eight hours when the Mistica effect starts to wear off. When I take a new dose I'm back to normal within fifteen or twenty minutes for the next seven to eight hours. As I say, this has been happening for four days and nights in a row. Now my wife and I find we only need two double doses of Mistica a day. Neither of us has ever felt the need to spend time in bed since we first got the swine flu.

You have my permission to share this story from the swine flu front line with others whom you think may benefit from reading it.

Kindest regards.

T. D.
London
UK

Swine Flu Bad in England

The United States is having increasing deaths from swine flu in individuals under 30.

This is how bad things are in England: -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/5894771/Cases-of-swine-flu-have-doubled-to-100000-in-one-week.html

This same is true in Ireland and Scotland.

Dr Joe

Swine Flu: What to Do

Swine Flu

H1N1 influenza from the CDC and NEJM, May 8, 2009

Although the onslaught of virus seems to have slowed, there is no reason to drop our guard too far just yet. Besides, this virus has some atypical manifestations that may make us not recognize the problem as quickly as we might.

For example one fourth of cases present with diarrhea and another one fourth present with vomiting. The usual “flu” is an upper and lower respiratory presentation. The virus is continuing to rapidly evolve on a DNA basis and the presentation may evolve as well.

Children and teens seem to be most susceptible and older adults less vulnerable to the virus. The ages of between 10 and 18 years were most effected and only 5% were 50 or older. Symptoms included fever in 94%, cough in 92%, sore throat in 66%, diarrhea in 25%, and vomiting in 25%.

The young with disorders as asthma and eczema, as well as other disorders of immunodeficiency seem to be at more risk. All patients given Tamiflu recovered.

Swine Flu - Update