mRNA Vaccine for Multiple Sclerosis! Recent Landmark Study Using Technology from COVID-19 Vaccines

Dr. Brandon Beaber on Twitter: "mRNA vaccine completely blocks disability  in the a mouse model of MS. Zero disability in treatment group vs. complete  paralysis of hindlimbs in placebo group. I'm publishing


A recent landmark study showed that mRNA containing lipid nanoparticles can be used to potentially develop a “vaccine” for multiple sclerosis using similar technology to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. This videos shows data from a study in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a mouse model of MS.


Talking to your child about their autism




Autism Acceptance Facebook Cover

Autism Acceptance Facebook Cover




 

[Original article on NHS Choices website]

Explaining to your child that they have autism can be difficult for some parents. Here an expert gives some tips on how to have the conversation.

In her work as a child psychiatrist with Surrey and Borders NHS Trust, Dr Glòria Durà-Vilà meets many parents in her clinic who struggle with telling their child about their autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis.

Children need to know they have autism

“Many children who arrive in my clinical practice don’t know about their diagnosis of ASD because their parents didn’t know how to explain it and were worried it could upset them,” she says.

Glòria found this lack of communication often led to upsetting situations. For example, one child found out about his diagnosis when he read the word “autistic” next to his name on a class list at school.

Another child, already a teenager, had no idea that his problems with making friends were caused by his autism, instead believing it was because he was “ugly”.

These instances and many others inspired Glòria and illustrator Tamar Levi to create a picture book designed to help parents have those conversations at home.

“Our book explains what an autism diagnosis means, and encourages an exploration of the child’s strengths and differences in a tone that speaks directly to the child,” she explains.

“We wanted the pictures to show how the world looks from the child’s perspective. So, for example, we avoided using facial expressions, as these are often confusing to children with autism.




“It doesn’t have to be read all at once and can be revisited at any time.”

The benefits of telling your child about their ASD

Knowing about their diagnosis can help a child to explain the differences they may have noticed between themselves and other children, and shed light on the difficulties they’re facing.

These differences can have a negative impact on their self-esteem and the way they perceive themselves if they are left unaddressed.

“Children whom I have diagnosed with ASD have told me about the positives of knowing what their condition was.

“I even had a card from a teenager I diagnosed who thanked me because he now ‘liked himself more’, as he now knew why at times he didn’t fit in,” says Glòria.

Sometimes parents ask Glòria if she can tell their child about the diagnosis, but she feels that because they are the ones who know their child best, they can provide a loving and safe space to deliver this message.

“A child will be much more receptive to their parents talking to them at home, rather than hearing it from a professional,” she says.

No one size fits all. In some cases of autism, a child’s ability to communicate or understand can be significantly impaired, in which case they will have different needs, starting with finding the right educational environment to help them reach their potential.




“I have met amazing parents of children with these difficulties who found creative ways to communicate – such as one mother who communicates with her child through different types of caress, rather than words or gestures,” says Glòria.

“I was struck by how these parents accepted their children’s problems and enjoyed their uniqueness, celebrating each one of their achievements, no matter how small.”

Your emotions as a parent

“Many parents react with relief on hearing the diagnosis, as they were the ones who initiated the assessment process and realised they ‘always knew’, but felt the diagnosis and learning about the condition helped them to understand their child better. However, others initially react with disbelief or sadness,” says Glòria.

“I often tell these parents that their child is still the same special boy or girl whom they love, and that a diagnosis of ASD is just an explanation for the difficulties they are having and a step towards finding the right help they need,” she says.

Many parents ask whether their child’s ASD was in any way their fault. “For example, although the claim the MMR vaccine could cause autism has been widely discredited, I still have parents attributing their child’s autism to this vaccine and blaming themselves for allowing their child to have it,” says Glòria. “I try to explain that it is a neurodevelopmental condition that isn’t anyone’s fault.”

Glòria encourages parents to concentrate on finding services and voluntary organisations that will help their child thrive.

The National Autistic Society has advice and information about living with autism, including about some of the benefits and services available to people with autism and their parents and carers.

Glòria’s tips for talking about ASD

Choose a time when your child is at their most calm and receptive.

Pick a space with few distractions.

Return to any questions your child may have already asked while they were being assessed, and use these as cues to start the conversation.

Make sure any information you give them is right for their age so they can understand what’s being explained to them.

You may also like to read Deborah French’s account of raising her son Henry, who has ASD.

Further information

Dr Glòria Durà-Vilà is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with a clinical interest in autism.

She is the author of My Autism Book, an illustrated book for children that explains what an autism diagnosis means.

Find out more about caring for someone with autism.

Read about other autism misconceptions and the facts about autism.

Parents want to see Meningitis Eradicated Over any other Vaccine Preventable Disease

Listen to our podcast with Dr Carol Cooper where she discusses parents health fears with meningitis  

 

 

Dr Carol Cooper

Dr Carol Cooper

A new survey has revealed that three quarters of parents would like to see meningitis eradicated above all other vaccine preventable diseases, including measles, mumps and whooping cough[i].

Meningitis remains the most feared infectious disease amongst parents as it strikes so quickly and can kill within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms, even despite swift treatment[ii]. It is also extremely tough to detect as the early symptoms of meningitis can resemble the flu, making it difficult to differentiate from other less serious childhood infections. One in ten of those infected will die and a further 20% of survivors will be left with after effects including long term disabilities such as brain damage, amputations and hearing loss2,[iii].

 

Great progress has been made through the introduction of vaccines for some causes of meningitis, such as the Meningooccal Group C (MenC) vaccine which was introduced in 1999 and has prevented over 9,000 serious cases and 1,000 deaths[iv]. Thirteen years on from the vaccines introduction there have been less than 30 cases of MenC annually for the last five years, showing that this type of the disease has been virtually eradicated in the UK[v]. An ongoing threat remains however, from the Meningococcal Group B (MenB) strain which accounts for over half of all meningitis cases in the UK and cannot be prevented by vaccines currently available on the National Immunisation Programme[vi].

 

Vaccination programmes have had an extremely positive impact on public health, saving millions of lives and ensuring that life threatening diseases such as polio are now no longer seen in the UK[vii],[viii]. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the last reported UK death from smallpox, a disease which used to affect over 50 million people globally each year[ix] and that has now been consigned to the history books thanks to wide scale vaccination.

 

As children get set to head back to school parents should remember that while many infections are minor and easily treatable, the threat of more serious and life threatening conditions such as meningitis remains and parents should remain vigilant.



[i] Novartis data on file. Opinion Matters consumer survey conducted August 2013

[ii] World Health Organisation. Meningococcal meningitis factsheet. Nov 2012. Available at: www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/. Accessed Aug 2013.

[iii] Rosenstein NE, et al. Meningococcal disease. N Engl J Med 2001;344:1378-88

[iv] Health Protection Agency. Vaccination for Meningococcal disease. Available at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1296682977081. Accessed Aug 2013.

[v] Health Protection Agency. Table 8: Invasive meningococcal C infections laboratory reports, England and Wales by age group & epidemiological year, 1998/99-2011/12 Available at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1317136089480. Accessed Aug 2013.

[vi] Meningitis Research Foundation. UK Facts and Figures (webpage). Available at: www.meningitis.org/facts Accessed Aug 2013.

[vii] NHS Immunisation Information factsheet 2004. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/planners/vaccinations/documents/factsheet%20diptheria%20tetanus%20pertussis%20polio%20hib%5B1%5D.pdf Accessed August 2013

[viii] British Polio. Polio and vaccination webpage. Available at: http://www.britishpolio.org.uk/polio-and-post-polio-syndrome/polio-and-vaccination.html Accessed August 2013

[ix] World Health Organisation. Smallpox factsheet 2001. Available at: http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/isd/spoxclincian/contents/references/factsheet.pdf Accessed Aug 2013

Dr Carol Cooper is a prolific writer and broadcaster as well as a practising family doctor and mother of three sons, including twins. She graduated in medicine from Cambridge University. After this, she spent several years in different hospital specialities, most recently rheumatology, before entering general practice soon after the birth of her first child.

Carol regularly appears on TV and radio, giving expert medical opinions on topical health matters.

Carol’s books are mainly on child health and parenting, including the much-loved Twins & Multiple Births. Most of the titles are a fusion of her personal experience and her professional expertise. As a journalist, her work appears in publications as diverse as The Sun and The Lancet. She is The Sun’s doctor and is honorary consultant in family medicine to Tamba, the Twins & Multiple Births Association.

A lone parent, Carol finds that her three sons, now all young adults, provide endless inspiration as well as welcome relief from medical practice. She says that, no matter how hard you work as a medic, you reach more people with a pen than you can with a stethoscope.

Although Carol writes and broadcasts on many health topics from meningitis to athlete’s foot, her special interests are child and family medicine, men’s health, sports medicine, twins/multiple births, and arthritis/rheumatism.