Latest / Intellectual Medicine / Should I get the COVID-19 immunization?

Transcript

Should I get the COVID-19 immunization? · Intellectual Medicine

• 0:01
  Good morning gang. It's dr.
• 0:02
  Steve dirty, and you're listening to intellectual
• 0:05
  medicine the show where we talk about how to live to be a
• 0:08
  hundred, and twenty and stay young while doing it.
• 0:12
  We also take a side view, an alternative and complementary
• 0:16
  view of things that are in the conventional medicine world
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  today. Gang.
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  The question that is on the minds of many of my patients and
• 0:25
  listeners is whether or not they should get the immunization.
• 0:30
  Against covid. So today I'm going to be
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  answering that question for you. That is giving you some
• 0:36
  different reflective approaches to answering the question.
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  But before I do that, we also need to reflect more broadly on
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  the state of our response to the pandemic.
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  Now, you've heard this phrase often uttered let the science,
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  be your guide. Well, that is a nebulous phrase,
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  we have to remember science is a process.
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  It's not a fixed place on a map. Furthermore.
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  There are different kinds of science when it comes to letting
• 1:02
  the science guide you. The question needs to be asked,
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  what science are you talking about is social science, the
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  science of psychological well-being, the science of
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  socio-economic development or are we merely focusing on
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  virology, the science of the transmission of viruses, if
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  we're after a zero consequence with regard to viral
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  transmission. That's impossible.
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  It's a false goal and the harm in pursuing it.
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  We're seeing evidence all around us shattered, economies broken
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  lives, depression. These things are hard to
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  measure, therefore. It's easier to ignore them.
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  I'll give you an example within our school system has ever been
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  a time of more rapid disintegration of respect and
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  consideration of institutional, education than presently, say
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  what you want about how wonderful teachers are and they
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  are individually. A wonderful species of people,
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  worthy of our respect and admiration, but collectively
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  they morph into some sort of a political Bloc that oftentimes
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  hides behind false summaries and Order to achieve their agenda.
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  Specifically, I'm talking about their response to covid
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  especially into the current circumstance.
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  I'll give you this example, from my personal experience.
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  I have a son in high school. We recently took a trip, my
• 2:31
  family and I went to the Bahamas.
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  Fantastic. I recommend you travel people,
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  the airlines are extremely exceedingly safe.
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  We had to have a healthcare passport, which included a
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  negative covid test before departure.
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  ER upon departing Bahamas, we had to have yet another negative
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  test prior to boarding the plane and re-entering the country.
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  So to- covid test within one week upon arrival, back to the
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  US were informed by the school department that our son would
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  have to be stay at home for two weeks.
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  Couldn't go to school for two weeks.
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  There is absolutely no science validating that decision.
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  It is idiotic. Look knee-jerk biased,
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  imposition of opinion that Trump's science.
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  Even the CDC is shortened. The quarantine period for people
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  who are exposed nevermind, negative testing.
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  Look if the negative testing is not going to Spring Us free from
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  quarantining. Why bother if getting immunized
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  isn't going to liberalize our lifestyles, why bother where is
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  the incentive? Where's the science?
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  If you believe in an immunization Does it make sense
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  that getting it should afford you?
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  The liberty of movement? Well, people add up a grade
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  higher than minor contemplating that but for you individually,
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  here's the number of the question.
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  Should you should you not get the immunization?
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  We talked a moment ago about science.
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  Now. It comes down to a personal
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  versus a societal versus a familial reflection.
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  So, I have gotten the first of my two-step moderna
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  immunization. I do not perceive myself at risk
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  of having severe consequence to covid.
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  I have never shut down. My medical center, intellectual
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  medicine has been up and running every day throughout the
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  pandemic. I think it was.
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  I think it was a violation of our oath to care for the sick at
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  a time of need. Our, if not our oath, certainly
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  Our intention when we entered this profession.
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  Look, we knew that we'd be engaging with people that are
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  sick. Some people have transmissible
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  infectious diseases. You don't run and hide.
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  You don't close your medical center because you're afraid,
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  you might get sick. It's just stupid.
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  Sick, people need to be seen by doctors nurse practitioners.
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  They need to be evaluated. It can't sit home with a fever
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  and hope you don't die. That is bad medicine.
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  So we stayed open throughout, and throughout the course of
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  staying open. I encountered patients, who had
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  symptoms. Covid, some who had culture
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  proven covid. We implemented appropriate
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  social, distancing masking hand washing cleaning techniques.
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  I'm happy to report that. I've never required the
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  infection and that our centers never been a vector of
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  transmission. There's a safe way to proceed.
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  So why did I get the immunization?
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  If I don't perceive myself at risk, the answers.
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  So that I'm not a vector. So I don't hurt other people.
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  I'm a doctor, everyday encounter folks that may be vulnerable.
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  I could. Unknowingly transmit this
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  infection to somebody. In my presence.
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  Yes. I wear a mask, when I see my
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  patients. Yes.
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  We do all those social distancing things, but why not
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  give an added layer of potential protection to the people that I
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  care for my getting this immunization.
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  Might it caused me harm. Of course, it might see.
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  I mean his vacation, it's a medical intervention people.
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  There's no such thing as a no risk activity and human life
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  including immunizations. Including what we do it until
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  actual medicine IV. Infusions are extraordinarily
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  safe. You have to look at that risk
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  Bennett benefit ratio. Now, what about other
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  circumstances? So, here's my recommendation.
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  If you are in contact with the public at large in a manner that
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  could potentially expose them to risk, should you be a silent
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  transmitter? I encourage you to get
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  immunized. Put the greater good of the
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  people, you love and Serve ahead of your own worry.
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  The the evidence regarding the immunizations efficacy looks
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  pretty good. Actually, it looks excellent.
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  The evidence regarding its safety looks.
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  Okay. I'm not going to lie and say,
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  wow. This is totally totally safe.
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  That's bullshit party. Can I say that on podcast?
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  Anyhow, the reason why, declaring it orderly, safe is
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  premature is because we simply haven't observed it.
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  Long enough and enough people to fill Air it out that small
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  minority of adverse reactions, that may be small and
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  percentages but are seriously relevant to those who acquire
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  it. So it is a fair statement to say
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  that in the present moment, the risk of the virus is such that
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  we would choose to become humanized so that we can protect
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  others around us. If not ourselves.
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  And by extension blunt, the progression of this horrible,
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  pandemic. It's been terrible on everybody.
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  The fact that I get immunized, makes me less likely to allow
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  this virus. A safe haven everybody who's
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  been infected or has received an immunization has pretty much
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  eliminated themselves as a safe haven for the virus to Fester,
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  within, while it continues to spread among Society at Large.
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  So the greater Society answer is, if you're an individual
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  who's looking at a world view at a societal view, then you get
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  immunized, if you're 25, and you are totally healthy.
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  The benefit Q. Personally is relatively tiny
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  the risk of something horrible happening.
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  To a robust young person approaches, 0, that is you'll
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  get sick. You'll feel crappy, but you'll
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  overwhelmingly likelihood. You're going.
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  Recover, like you would with the flow now might the immunization
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  protect you individually. Yes.
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  However, what is the potential long-term consequence from an
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  immunization? The answers, you never know the
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  you never know when it comes to framing a question in multi-year
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  perspective. We simply don't do studies that
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  last that long in the present setting, we couldn't.
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  So if you are a individual who aspires to do the greater good
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  for society, then you'll get immunized.
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  If you're an individual that is strictly focusing on what is
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  your individual best path forward.
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  It becomes a little more gray. If you're below the age of 50
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  and in great health, lean and fit.
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  The risk of this virus taking your life or Landing you in the
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  hospital is puny therefore on an individual basis.
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  May be hard to justify getting intimate ization.
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  Well suppose you visit an elderly parent or suppose, you
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  are involved in an occupation that will put you in the face of
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  other individuals at risk. I'm calling upon all Healthcare
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  Providers to roll up their sleeve, get the immunization.
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  Fear, not for your own healthy, for your own health fear, for
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  the health of the people that you may unknowingly transmit it.
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  Toward. This is why we enter the
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  profession. What about other Frontline
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  people, you know, if you're a if you're a clerk in a store of
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  high-volume, it's a consideration.
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  If you are otherwise at risk suppose, you're over 75.
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  Suppose you over 95. Different ways to look at it,
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  right? It's less likely that any
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  immunization will afford benefit because of a weakened immune
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  system. In order for an immunization of
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  work, your immune system has to be intact.
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  That means it's got to be functioning properly.
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  Now, we've talked before about things that can help support
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  immune function. I'm a strong advocate of,
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  getting your vitamin D, level checked, and of using
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  supplemental therapy to bring your vitamin D level.
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  Up to the standards that we have seen in some research studies
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  that correlate with lower risk from viral consequences.
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  And that threshold is generally somewhere above 50.
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  Usually measured in nanograms per deciliter.
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  But 54 a 25 hydroxy, vitamin D level.
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  Unfortunately, your insurance company may not pay for your
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  blood level to be performed. So we inquire us to the price.
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  Usually not too expensive in the alternative.
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  You can safely take up to 4. A thousand units.
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  Many key. We often recommend 5,000 units
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  of vitamin D per day. I've never seen in my practice,
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  anybody that I've tested test in a level above 100, which is
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  considered potentially harmful while on vitamin D.
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  At that dose, the other things you can do, make sure your zinc
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  is repleted. Zinc is one of the most common
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  nutritional deficiencies, that contributes to immune weakness,
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  the levels of zinc. On as we age, 20 milligrams a
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  day is a safe dose of supplementation.
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  There is such a thing as taking too much.
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  Think folks, more is not necessarily better.
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  So make sure if you're taking multiple supplements, read the
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  label, and add up, all the zinc, you're taking 20 milligrams a
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  day, is safe. If you want to go beyond that.
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  You should get the input of somebody who knows what they're
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  doing and educated physician nurse practitioner or a
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  naturopath. The folks at some some of whom
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  have made it, their business to become expert in the use of
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  supplements. So, zinc, vitamin D.
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  I personally like vitamin C at 2,000 milligrams a day.
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  Not everybody can tolerate that dose.
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  What else keeps your immune system percolating?
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  Healthy sleep, physical activity.
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  Yes, to both hormonal therapy. You know, I'm an advocate of
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  that folks hormone replacement therapy.
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  I believe is a component of immunological Health.
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  If you're past the age of 60, it's time to contemplate.
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  The peptide therapy to stimulate growth hormone, which tends to
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  be waning at that, phase of life.
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  Now, those things may not be available to everybody, but
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  they're out there and you can find them.
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  If you search at intellectual medicine, we guide our patients
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  toward proper. Use of healthy hormone,
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  repletion healthy, use of peptide therapy, but let's go
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  back to the question in hand. Should you are Did you not get
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  the immunization? My general recommendation is
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  that it's worth doing as an individual.
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  I can respect an individual's desire, not to get an
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  immunization for fear of unknown consequence.
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  But if you're a teacher, a policeman, a fireman.
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  If you are working in retail and face public, in large numbers,
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  if you're in healthcare. I think you've got to really
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  reflect on the risk, you present to others as a silent
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  transmitter, and I think you need to do a deep reflection on
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  where you place the role you have in society with regard to
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  the well-being of others. Is it more important to take
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  comfort in avoiding an immunization that you don't
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  perceive to have personal Merit, or is it more important to take
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  the theoretical risk of the immunization?
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  And by virtue of becoming immunized, potentially do the
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  greater good for Society at Large.
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  Tough questions to answer. For many of you.
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  It's a theoretical reflection because you simply can't get the
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  immunization. It's not available yet.
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  That's good news. In a sense.
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  You get to observe the natural Arc of this pandemic.
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  Here's one cluster of people in whom I do not recommend
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  immunization. That's children.
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  Anybody below the age of 18, your risk of suffering, a
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  consequence of significance from this is so tiny.
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  And the potential in the developing human.
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  Not fully formed. For an adverse effect to occur
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  is greater than it is in a fully formed human of adult age.
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  Furthermore, a child does not have the liberty of making a
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  decision for themselves. I certainly hope that this is
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  never mandated as a requirement for kids to go to school.
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  I think that would be a horrible decision, and it would be a step
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  toward the authoritarian State parents should make this
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  decision for their children. Nobody else.
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  And as a parent I could tell you that I would not be inclined to
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  have my children, get the immunization.
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  I do believe you. Look at the trends.
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  Every pandemic in the course of human history has come to an
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  end. And none of the prior pandemics
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  have been brought to their knees by the virtue of immunization.
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  It's a good thing. We have immunizations available,
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  but this pandemic will go away on its own.
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  Therefore. For our children entering
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  School, especially looking at September of 2021 as your next
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  sort of threshold date. It's highly probable that this
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  pandemic will be a thing of the past by then looking at the
• 16:26
  current trends. So folks, I can't give you a
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  straight thumbs up, thumbs down with the immunization.
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  I can share with you full of philosophy, which hopefully I
• 16:36
  did and you can reflect on that when it comes to how to apply it
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  to your personal circumstance. And if you have medical
• 16:43
  complications and other issues at hand, if you're a diabetic,
• 16:47
  if you have heart disease, if you're in the midst of fighting
• 16:50
  cancer, you should take this up with your personal physician to
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  make sure there's nothing about your history, the drugs, you're
• 16:57
  on, or the treatment, you're receiving, that would be a
• 17:01
  barrier to receiving the immunization.
• 17:04
  Well folks were going to get through this pandemic one way or
• 17:06
  the other, we're coming out the other side Society will bloom
• 17:09
  again. The sun will shine.
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  Birds will chirp and you folks, you will be left standing
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  looking in the mirror at yourself and have to reflect
• 17:19
  upon. How did you get through it?
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  Did you gain weight? Did you get less healthy?
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  Well, let's keep our momentum moving forward.
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  The momentum of living to be a hundred and twenty and staying
• 17:30
  youthful doing it. I'm dr.
• 17:33
  Steve had already been listening to intellectual medicine.
• 17:36
  I look forward to you in future podcast.
• 17:38
  And for those of you that are a fan of Testing I can share with
• 17:43
  you. I was a recent guest on a
• 17:45
  podcast called flipping 50. It's a show about staying young
• 17:51
  and vital and it was a delight to be on that podcast.
• 17:55
  The flipping 50 show, and I recommend it to all my
• 17:59
  listeners, Deborah Atkinson is your host on that show.
• 18:02
  And if you tuned in, you can, you can listen to my appearance
• 18:07
  on our show, we discussed many of the things you have become
• 18:09
  familiar with and perhaps Also, gain some insight into her
• 18:14
  perspective on nutrition and health as well.
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  Well, thanks for tuning in, folks.
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  I'll talk to you soon. This is dr.
• 18:19
  Steve better route and intellectual medicine, wishing
• 18:21
  you a hundred and twenty youthful years.