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Avian flu pandemic, superbugs, annual colds and flu
explored at The Immunity Challenge
TORONTO, October 28, 2006 -- With a possible avian flu pandemic looming, superbugs and other antibiotic-resistant viruses making headlines, and annual cold and flu season about to begin, many Canadians are asking what they can do proactively to protect and strengthen their immune health. An impressive roster of leading physicians, immunologists, naturopaths and infectious disease control experts are exploring this important question at The Immunity Challenge, a one-day symposium for the public and health professionals, on Saturday, October 28 at the University of Toronto’s Brennan Hall.
Hosted by the Holistic Health Research Foundation of Canada, in association with the Ontario Society of Physicians for Complementary Medicine, this groundbreaking educational event is focused on the potential role of evidence-based natural health products in strengthening innate immune health for optimal wellness, as well as preventing and managing emerging public health concerns such as the avian flu. Topics include the role of nutrition and nutritional supplements in strengthening innate immunity, an in-depth look at the evidence behind natural health products for immune health, emerging research about probiotics, and the use of homeopathy during the Spanish Flu pandemic. The day ends with a lively panel discussion about conventional, complementary and integrated strategies to managing a pandemic threat.
“According to a recent Health Canada survey, approximately 71% of Canadians regularly use natural health products to complement their conventional health care,” says Keren Brown, Executive Director, Holistic Health Research Foundation of Canada. “But is there good scientific evidence for popular natural health products being marketed for immune health? Providing objective public and health professional education about the safe and effective use of complementary medicine is an important part of our mandate as a non-profit organization.”
The immune system employs two basic strategies – innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Some natural health products appear to target and strengthen the innate immune system, which equips us to seek out and destroy foreign invaders before they can do serious harm. Conventional approaches such as vaccination provide adaptive immunity, in which we acquire the ability to recognize a potentially dangerous pathogen and mount a vigorous attack the next time we encounter it.
“But vaccines are sometimes ineffective or may take a long time to develop,” explains Dr. Aileen Burford-Mason, immunologist and Board President, Holistic Health Research Foundation of Canada. “In the meantime, I believe that we have paid too little attention to our front line defense - innate immunity - which has the capacity to protect us against a wide variety of infectious agents we have never before encountered."
Several recent reports highlight the importance of this event. The first analyzed the incidence of influenza in Ontario following the introduction of free 'flu shots in 2000. Despite costing Ontario taxpayers almost $200 million, universal vaccination has to date had no impact on the incidence of flu in the province.[i] Another recent report commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) looked at all the medical interventions used worldwide during the SARS epidemic. According to that report it was not possible to determine whether patients benefited from any of the treatments and some may have been harmful.[ii]
“This makes The Immunity Challenge exciting and very timely, since we simply do not have much in our medical arsenal at the moment that has proven to be effective if there is a pandemic,” says Dr. Linda Rapson, President, Ontario Society of Physicians for Complementary Medicine. “Nor do we have much that is proven to be effective for common colds, flu and allergy prevention. If natural medicine can help, we need to see the evidence.”
Launched in late 2004, the Holistic Health Research Foundation of Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to funding high calibre, multidisciplinary research, public education and health professional training in complementary and alternative health care.
For more information, please visit www.ImmunityChallenge.ca or www.HolisticHealthResearch.ca.
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Media contact:
Keren Brown, Executive Director
(416) 778-4443
[i]Groll DL, Thompson DJ. Incidence of influenza in Ontario following the Universal Influenza Immunization Campaign. Vaccine 2006 Jun 12;24(24):5245-50
[ii]Stockman LJ, Bellamy R, Garner P. SARS: Systematic Review of Treatment Effects PLoS Med 2006; 3(9): e343
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