Chief Medical Officer at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Dr. Kevin Most joins the Steve Cochran Show to discuss the importance of getting your annual COVID-19 shot, if over-the-counter cold medicines are ineffective, and he shares how an abscessed tooth affects your whole body. 

Dr. Kevin Most's Steve Cochran Show Notes:

Covid Vaccine annual shot now available
Fully approved by FDA and CDC last week
Approved for those over the age of 6 months
This vaccine was built to target the XBB strain we saw in the spring, and is the offshoot of the current strains EG 5 and  BA 2.86
The vaccine will again protect you from severe illness and hospitalizations, and will minimize symptoms in those who get Covid
Concern is vaccine apathy, as only 1 in 6 got the last booster, and with decreased tracking cases are being discussed anecdotally versus actual rates as we have stopped tracking closely.
Many feel their natural immunity as well as previous vaccinations will continue to protect them
When to get vaccinated – now or soon unless you have had a recent infection, in which case you can wait 3 months, or got the bivalent vaccine in the last 2 months
Getting the flu vaccine and the Covid vaccine at the same time is fine, and getting them in both arms has been shown to increase immunity
Officials in Florida are telling people under 65  to not get the Covid vaccine, political ignorance may actually impact the health of those in Florida and those who travel to Florida
Some pediatricians are on the fence for the vaccine with young healthy children, as most children do quite well with the current Covid infections

Decongestant found in many oral cold meds is ineffective per FDA
Phenylephrine is found in almost all OTC cold medications, over 250 products
Recent review of studies  by the FDA showed that this medication is not actually effective in treating congestion
FDA Advisory committee voted 16- 0 , that the drug does not work as advertised for oral medications
It has been studied to show that when taken orally only a very small portion of the medication is actually absorbed
FDA may prompt that all of these oral medications be pulled now that they have shown it is ineffective
If pulled, this will be very disruptive thru cold season as the companies then determine next steps for reformulation, and patients may be left with few options
There have been studies since 2007 showing phenylephrine is no better than placebo when looking at decongesting
These products are worth close to $2 billion dollars in sales each year
This medication became popular in 2006, when the FDA removed pseudoephedrine from direct OTC, to a point where you need to ask the pharmacist and your purchase is logged
Drug companies then switched from pseudoephedrine to phenylephrine for the direct OTC products
Studies for the effectiveness for phenylephrine were done by the drug manufacturers, not based on peer reviewed clinical trials
This change occurred because drug dealers were using, the then OTC pseudoephedrine , to make methamphetamine
Some medications that Phenylephrine is found in- Sudafed Sinus Congestion, Tylenol Cold and Flu, Nyquil cold and flu and many others
Phenylephrine has been shown to be effective in a nasal spray form

Chief Medical Officer at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Dr. Kevin Most joins the Steve Cochran Show to discuss the importance of getting your annual COVID-19 shot, if over-the-counter cold medicines are ineffective, and he shares how an abscessed tooth affects your whole body. 
Dr. Kevin Most's Steve Cochran Show Notes:
Covid Vaccine annual shot now available
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Fully approved by FDA and CDC last week</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Approved for those over the age of 6 months</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">This vaccine was built to target the XBB strain we saw in the spring, and is the offshoot of the current strains EG 5 and  BA 2.86</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The vaccine will again protect you from severe illness and hospitalizations, and will minimize symptoms in those who get Covid</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Concern is vaccine apathy, as only 1 in 6 got the last booster, and with decreased tracking cases are being discussed anecdotally versus actual rates as we have stopped tracking closely.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Many feel their natural immunity as well as previous vaccinations will continue to protect them</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">When to get vaccinated – now or soon unless you have had a recent infection, in which case you can wait 3 months, or got the bivalent vaccine in the last 2 months</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Getting the flu vaccine and the Covid vaccine at the same time is fine, and getting them in both arms has been shown to increase immunity</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Officials in Florida are telling people under 65  to not get the Covid vaccine, political ignorance may actually impact the health of those in Florida and those who travel to Florida</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Some pediatricians are on the fence for the vaccine with young healthy children, as most children do quite well with the current Covid infections</li>
</ul>
Decongestant found in many oral cold meds is ineffective per FDA
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Phenylephrine is found in almost all OTC cold medications, over 250 products</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Recent review of studies  by the FDA showed that this medication is not actually effective in treating congestion</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">FDA Advisory committee voted 16- 0 , that the drug does not work as advertised for oral medications</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">It has been studied to show that when taken orally only a very small portion of the medication is actually absorbed</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">FDA may prompt that all of these oral medications be pulled now that they have shown it is ineffective</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">If pulled, this will be very disruptive thru cold season as the companies then determine next steps for reformulation, and patients may be left with few options</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">There have been studies since 2007 showing phenylephrine is no better than placebo when looking at decongesting</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">These products are worth close to $2 billion dollars in sales each year</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">This medication became popular in 2006, when the FDA removed pseudoephedrine from direct OTC, to a point where you need to ask the pharmacist and your purchase is logged</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Drug companies then switched from pseudoephedrine to phenylephrine for the direct OTC products</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Studies for the effectiveness for phenylephrine were done by the drug manufacturers, not based on peer reviewed clinical trials</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">This change occurred because drug dealers were using, the then OTC pseudoephedrine , to make methamphetamine</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Some medications that Phenylephrine is found in- Sudafed Sinus Congestion, Tylenol Cold and Flu, Nyquil cold and flu and many others</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Phenylephrine has been shown to be effective in a nasal spray form</li>
</ul>

Steve Cochran rings the morning bell and gets your day started right. Featuring the best guests, the best interviews, and the best conversation, Steve Cochran is talking about what’s happening in your world. Smart, informative and (occasionally) funny, The Steve Cochran Show cuts through all the noise and brings you real talk radio every weekday from 5:30-9am on 890 WLS.

Steve Cochran rings the morning bell and gets your day started right. Featuring the best guests, the best interviews, and the best conversation, Steve Cochran is talking about what’s happening in your world. Smart, informative and (occasionally) funny, The Steve Cochran Show cuts through all the noise and brings you real talk radio every weekday from 5:30-9am on 890 WLS.

Steve Cochran on The Big 89

Steve Cochran rings the morning bell and gets your day started right. Featuring the best guests, the best interviews, and the best conversation, Steve Cochran is talking about what&rsquo;s happening in your world. Smart, informative and (occasionally) funny, The Steve Cochran Show cuts through all the noise and brings you real talk radio every weekday from 5:30-9am on 890 WLS.

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