Primary Care Today

Test-confirmed influenza outcomes provide a specific measure of influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) and has helped to illustrate the potential benefit of cell-based versus egg-based vaccines.¹ So what data support improved VE from cell-based flu vaccines versus egg-based vaccines? To learn more, join Dr. Jennifer Caudle as she speaks with Dr. Victoria A. Statler, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville and the Director of the Pediatric Transplant and Immunocompromised Host service at Norton Children’s Hospital.

Reference:

1. Stein AN, Mills C, McGovern, et al. Superior effectiveness of cell-based versus egg-based quadrivalent influenza vaccines against test-confirmed influenza over three consecutive seasons in the United States. Paper presented at: The Ninth European Scientific Working Group Influenza (ESWI) Influenza Conference; September 17-20, 2023: Valencia, Spain.

USA-QIVc-23-0119 01/24

Guess what? The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices had a unanimous vote in favor of a preferential recommendation of vaccines for the cool adults who are 65 and older—one of these options is adjuvanted influenza vaccines.¹ Talk about a milestone in the world of public health! Now the burning question is why on earth did they decide on adjuvant vaccines? Let's unravel this immunization mystery together, shall we?

Reference:

1. Grohskopf LA, Blanton LH, Ferdinands JM, Chung JR, Broder KR, Talbot HK, Morgan RL, Fry AM. Prevention and control of seasonal influenza with vaccines: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - United States, 2022-23 influenza season. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2022 Aug 26;71(1):1-28. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.rr7101a1

USA-CRP-23-0037 12/23

While the flu may seem benign to some, it may result in up to 710,000 hospitalizations and up to 52,000 deaths every year.¹ So how are current and concerning trends in declining flu vaccinations being addressed? To hear the latest updates and recommendations, join Dr. Charles Turck as he speaks with Dr. Wendy Wright, Owner and Family Nurse Practitioner at Wright & Associates Family Healthcare in New Hampshire, and Dr. Elias Chahine, Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Reference:

1. Disease Burden of Influenza. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html. Updated October 4, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2023.

USA-CRP-23-0043 01/24

Several factors impact vaccine effectiveness from year to year. One of them is the phenomenon of strain mismatch which may result from egg adaptation during the egg-based influenza vaccine manufacturing process.¹ So what exactly is the process of egg-adaptation? Gather your esteemed colleagues from far and wide, and tune into this episode of World of Tomorrow to learn more.

Reference:

1. Rajaram S, Boikos C, Gelone DK, Gandhi A. Influenza vaccines: the potential benefits of cell-culture isolation and manufacturing. Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother. 2020;8:1-10.

USA-CRP-23-0021 11/23

What did the first day of the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2021 showcase? From COVID-19 to developments in kidney disease, Dr. John Friedewald, Professor of Medicine and Surgery at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, shares highlights from Day 1.

It’s an unfortunate reality that an increasing number of patients are refusing to get vaccinated—regardless of whether that’s the recommendation for themselves or their children. But luckily, there are ways you can talk to your patients about this, as Dr. Jennifer Caudle explains.

Improvement is something we’re all constantly chasing, whether it’s in the form of a promotion, a bigger house, or maybe even an ideal weight. So why do we often fail miserably at these attempts to make our lives better?

To get to the bottom of this dilemma, Dr. Brian McDonough is joined by Kisma Orbovich, the CEO of Illumination Academy, to reveal the secret to true success and how gratitude may just be the lifehack we’ve been searching for.

What was once a sci-fi tale is now a reality, but unlike the aliens and monsters common to this genre, artificial intelligence isn’t something healthcare professionals need to fear. On the contrary, it may just be the key to unlocking new solutions in the pharmaceutical industry, as Dr. Cecilia Van Cauwenberghe explains.

Since about 21 million mothers in America experienced sexual abuse in their childhood, there’s a good chance that some of these women are our patients. So as their physicians, how can we provide them with the best possible care as they continue to cope with the lifelong effects of sexual abuse? That’s what Dr. Brian McDonough explores with Dr. Teresa Gil, author of Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children: Mothering, Resilience, and Protecting the Next Generation.

As with any technology, there are benefits and limitations to the computerization of healthcare. On the plus side, as Dr. Christopher Spagnuola explains, electronic medical records are streamlining communication between medical providers when it comes to prescriptions, and telemedicine is revolutionizing post-op following orthopedic surgery. But there are unfortunately some downsides to this technology as well.

Are our diets helping or hurting us? To examine the link between your gut and your overall health, Dr. Brian McDonough is joined by nutritionist Daryl Gioffre, who suggests that an unhealthy gut could very well be the root cause of significant health issues.

Since dementia is one of the most common health problems in the United States, it's hard not to know at least one person who is impacted by it. Proof of this is Dr. Tia Powell, who discusses the far-reaching impacts of dementia with Dr. Brian McDonough.

Dr. Brian McDonough brings up an age-old question: can listening to music cure your ailments? In an attempt to put this long-lived discussion to rest, Dr. McDonough welcomes Dr. Kenny Fine, a physician-musician of 15 years.

Is it possible that our environment and experiences have subconsciously programmed our emotional response to the world around us? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough is David Neagle, author of The Millions Within: Tips to Improve Emotional Intelligence, to offer advice on what impacts our emotional intelligence and the changes we can implement to strengthen our own.

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Even though people have gained immunity to the Zika virus in certain parts of the world, Zika outbreaks can—and do—still occur. Tune in as Dr. Jorge Garcia joins Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss the who, what, where, why, and how of the Zika virus, the once headline-dominating epidemic.

First there was paper, then there were traditional electronic health records…so what’s next? Well, more and more states across the country have been diligently working on the development and implementation of health information exchange, bringing all available information to a single point of care. Join Dr. Brian McDonough as he dives deep into the database with Rich Snyder, Chief Medical Officer of Independence Blue Cross, and Martin Lupinetti, President of HealthShare Exchange.

In the early years of Dr. Robin Miller's career, she found herself writing more prescriptions and spending less time counseling the patients sitting in her exam room. It was then that she realized that something had to change…so she quit her job and began a fellowship in integrated medicine.

Dr. Brian McDonough talks with Dr. Miller about her decision to switch her career focus and how her approach to diagnosing and treating patients has evolved.

Getting to the root of the intolerable running nose and watery-eyed allergy symptoms is Dr. Cass Ingram, author of Doctor's Guide to Wild Oregano. Reflecting on his research with Dr. Brian McDonough, Dr. Ingram points out the centuries-old natural remedy and the benefits it still possesses today.

Bullying is an unfortunate reality of the adolescent years. However, the implosion of the internet has created a new digital threat that is faceless and nameless: cyberbullying. Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell uncovers the link between risky online behaviors and their impacts in a discussion with Dr. Brian McDonough.

Palliative and hospice care both have very important roles in healthcare, but unfortunately, they are often overlooked as resources.

Dr. Brian McDonough is joined by Chief Medical Officer of Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice Dr. Stephen Goldfine, who offers his perspective on the stigma surrounding these two areas of healthcare and recommendations on how to make the conversation easier for you and your patients.