http://www.lvrj.com/news/45975417.html

One other interesting aspect of this, which is implied by Rocky’s HPV decision, is that the authorities’ medical recommendations, besides being motivated by the avoidance of culpability, will tend to be based on what is right ‘on average’ for the majority of people. So, for example, both smokers and non-smokers may receive exactly the same warnings about any respiratory issue, despite the likelihood of the risk factors being very different.

Meanwhile I’ve heard offlist that the Guillian- Barre sydrome scare probably arose from badly made vaccine – these days we’re much better at it. On the other one very smart lady Doctor I know is still cautious, and has decided against having the vaccine either for herself or her (non-asthmatic) sons.

I’ve pretty much decided against having it myself, though I’m going to take up the ancient ayurvedic practice of nasal irrigation using a neti dish. This should probably also help my zhan zhuang as I’ve found that deep abdominal breathing via the nose is very helpful with this.

Whether or not to vaccinate is a personal choice, and I ended up getting the vaccination. That being said, there are indeed some people who don’t care about the risks as long as they are perceived as doing something good and thoughtful..The governments and academia everywhere are full of these types of people. They good ideas and feelings make them irrational and they forget the law of unintended consequences.

On an even more complex plane—My wife and I also declined to have our daughter vaccindated for HPV (see: http://www.gardasil.com/hpv/?WT.mc_id=GL0DA ) …. despite the pediatrician’s strong advice. I told both the doctor and our daughter that if she wants the vaccine when she goes off to college, that’s fine….but not before…(“Traditional” values still exist in many families….and I believe it’s for the better. End of moralizing speech.)

Very courageous of you to take a non-standard decision like that. Meanwhile the ex and I have decided he should have it because of a very strong recommendation to do so be an extended relative/doctor. The deciding factor has been his asthma which he’s had a few hospital visits for including being kept in a couple of times. And with colds and flu being a trigger his risk is probably much greater.

Of course none of this sits easily with me due to the amount of propaganda and sheer panic out there.

Nigel

As a game theorist, the optimal strategy, of course, is to hope that every other parent vaccinates their child, so there is no need for one’s own child to be vaccinated! I suspect the public health authorities are playing their own game theory — knowing that achieving a critical mass of vaccinations will reduce the geometric pandemic characteristics, and benefit the overall society.

In the end, we decided against getting the vaccine for our family — however, our decision is based more on our approach towards life and health in general, rather than statistics. If, G-d forbid, we made the wrong choice, we will still have been consistent in our process.

You’re probably right on this and are in agreement with my uberwise 7 year old son. Unless of course he is motivated by the thought of better dinners and a reduced danger of my being a burden to him…

Nigel

I suppose an ‘optimal combination and timing for these operations’ depend very much on the battleground(s) faced (ie. our individual and very different bodies, environs, reactions etc).
[Old Sun's Chap X - Terrain/地形 may be of use here... ...just joking!]

I’m sure in your seasoned hands, your campaign against this small cold/viral incursion will be a quick one.

But what I think will really help, may be something much softer:
a soft cool hand on our warm foreheads, a sweet someone fussing and nursing and feeding us the hot remedies spoonful by spoonful, and who is unafraid of her prophylaxis to our viral selves…

Don