Each Patient Counts: Massachusetts Medical Society Weblog

A Call for Individual Health Reform

Physicially and financially, obesity is hurting us severely, writes MMS Vice President Lynda Young, M.D. in a commentary published August 7 in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Dr. Young cites no less than five national studies issued in July showing how heavy Americans have become (two-thirds are now either obese or overweight) and how costly obesity is to our health care system (9.1% of all medical spending, for a grand estimate of $147 billion, double the amount a decade ago). 

Dr. Young, who co--hosted a special edition of the MMS's monthly television program Physician Focus, Obesity in Massachusetts, which was collaborativly produced by the MMS, the State Department of Public Health, and Hopkinton Community Television, states that, while politicians and lawmakers debate the details of national health reform, each of us should engage in some individual health reform - to become more conscious of obesity and overweight, eat better, and exercise. "Those actions," she says, "will make a huge difference for our personal health, our public health, and our health care system."

MMS's Physician Focus Obesity in Massachusetts

A Proposed Fix for the Crisis in Childhood Immunization

Sean Palfrey, M.D., chairman of the Immunization Initiative of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a past president of the chapter, and a Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health at Boston University School of Medicine, believes Massachusetts is experiencing a “crisis in childhood immunization” and outlined his thoughts in a post on WBUR's Commonhealth blog last week.

Noting that Massachusetts was once the nation’s leader in childhood immunization, Dr. Palfrey says we’re not even in the top 10 now.  “We’re losing our grip on one of the state’s most effective disease prevention programs,” he writes, due to state budget cuts, the decision by some parents not to vaccinate their children, and the apathy of officials in allowing the state’s Immunization Registry – a tool “essential to the efficient coordination, management and oversight of vaccine distribution” - to be shelved. 

Dr. Palfrey says a solution is available, developed by The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Medical Legal Partnership at Boston Medical Center, and the law firm of Ropes and Gray.  The group has proposed legislation to fix the crisis. The bill establishes a framework that would enable Massachusetts to guarantee that all children 0-18 years receive all recommended vaccines in perpetuity.

Flu Activity in Massachusetts Increasing

The Mass. Department of Public Health says flu activity is increasing in Massachusetts. According to the DPH:

• Influenza-like ilnesses for the week ending 1/24/09 was 2.2%, above the regional baseline of 1.5%.  Three regions reported influenza-like illnesses of over 1.5%.
• The majority (390/480) of laboratory-confirmed cases for which influenza type is known are type A.
• Of 15 specimens that have tested positive at the State Laboratory Institute, six were A/H1N1, five were A/H3N2, three were type A that weren’t yet subtyped, and one was type B.

MA Influenza Strains and Antiviral Resistance (PDF)