DEAR DR. FOX: Your column entitled “Safety, Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccinations” was well balanced, but it gave too much weight to the Joseph Fraiman et al. article published in Vaccine in 2022.

Specifically, you have two main oversights. The first one goes to the risk vs. benefit of COVID vaccines. Other readers have discussed this, so I will not belabor the point, other than to say an overwhelming percentage of those admitted to hospitals due to a COVID-19 infections were not vaccinated.

The second oversight concerns the quality of the information presented in the Fraiman paper. Check out the follow-up review by Steven Black and Stephen Evans: doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.040. Basically, Black and Evans said the rigor was so wanting in the Fraiman paper that it would be rejected if it were submitted today (“today” being 2023). -- J.B.P., North Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR J.B.P.: I appreciate your comments, and agree that some published studies are lacking in statistical rigor. Even so, there were problems with the development of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines at “warp speed,” not limited to the issue of viral mutations, which can render vaccines ineffective.

A new review of health problems developing after vaccination concludes that “mRNA vaccines were linked to the increased risks of thyroid, colorectal, lung, and breast cancers. ... Vaccinated males were more vulnerable to gastric and lung cancers, whereas vaccinated females were more susceptible to thyroid and colorectal cancers.” (Full study: "One-year risks of cancers associated with COVID-19 vaccination: a large population-based cohort study in South Korea" by Hong Jin Kim et al., published in Biomarker Research, 2025.)

From a One Health perspective, there has been too much reliance on developing vaccines for emerging diseases and potential pandemics, and insufficient emphasis on prevention. I articulate this in my book “One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives.”

It is notable that plant-based diets have been associated with a lower incidence of COVID-19 infection. "These dietary patterns may be considered protective against COVID-19 infection," concludes the study "Vegetarian and plant-based diets associated with lower incidence of COVID-19" by Julio Cesar Acosta-Navarro et al., published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health, 2024.

People deficient in dietary vitamin D3, selenium and various protective antioxidants are more prone to viral infections (see doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.6.1676S). Also, some essential oils are antiviral (see doi.org/10.3390/ijms21103426), and some herbal extracts have antiviral properties (see pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35894129). These natural products have been marginalized by Big Pharma through its influence on medical school curricula.

All of this means that government health agencies should focus more on nutrition education and pursue a more holistic approach to health care and treatment. They should cease to align so exclusively with Big Pharma.

The current administration has caused significant public confusion and distrust in science and medical advice, which is regrettably spilling over into veterinary medicine. This puts cats and dogs at risk when their owners do not follow veterinary advice regarding the core vaccinations that all kittens and puppies should receive. According to one review, compared with 2020 rates, pet owners are much more hesitant about any type of vaccine -- including those for their pets. (Full study: "Sick as a dog? The prevalence, politicization, and health policy consequences of canine vaccine hesitancy" by Matt Motta et al., published in Vaccine, 2023.)

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Regarding the recent news about Tylenol, please see the following write-up from Nature.com, posted Sept. 23:

"'Don’t take Tylenol,' was the blunt advice of President Donald Trump during an announcement that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will slap a new warning label on the painkiller (also known as acetaminophen and paracetamol) that flags a 'possible association' with autism in children. But there is a lack of strong evidence to back up the claim. Association does not mean causation. 'The evidence does not support a causal link between acetaminophen or vaccines and autism,' says clinical teratologist Sura Alwan, the executive director of PEAR-Net Society, a nonprofit advocating for maternal fetal health and research. There are few safe alternatives to treat pain and fever during pregnancy, so advising against it is 'bound to increase fear in pregnant women,' says Helen Tager-Flusberg, a psychologist who studies autism. 'It is absolutely not grounded in the scientific findings.'"

The Trump administration has announced that a drug called leucovorin (or folinic acid), currently used to treat the side effects of cancer drugs, will be made available to treat symptoms of autism in some children.

How this essential nutrient may help autism symptoms, if it does, is unknown, but its role in neurologic development has been long recognized. Folate deficiency is a significant risk factor for spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Women of childbearing age have long been advised to consume folic acid through supplements and fortified foods.

There are significant unknowns regarding the use of leucovorin to treat autism. From Nature.com, Sept. 24:

"Some specialists warn that the drug's efficacy has not been established, that scientists don’t know how much of the drug to give or how long people should take it, and that safety data in children are lacking. According to the FDA’s current plans, leucovorin will be available to only a minority of autistic people. All of this has led to widespread confusion, say clinicians. 'If anyone tells you they have found a magic bullet cure for autism, doubt them,' says Alycia Halladay, chief science officer of the Autism Science Foundation. 'There is not going to be one cause and one singular treatment.'"

Continued, from Nature and Scientific American:

"The FDA’s proposed approval, which has not yet been finalized, would apply only to people with low levels of folate in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. That represents about 7% to 30% of autistic people, depending on how folate levels are measured," says Halladay. "'Families are in the Facebook groups saying, "We can get a prescription now," she says. 'And that’s not what's going to happen.'"

In my opinion, when looking into contributing factors for autism, the Department of Health and Human Services should examine the pesticide contaminants in our food and water. These substances are also put on millions of pets to prevent fleas and ticks, and can then be inadvertently ingested by family members after petting the animals.

To that end, see the study "Are the growing levels of neurotoxic and neuro-disruptive chemicals in our food and drink contributing to the youth mental health crisis? A narrative review" by J.J. Newson et al., published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews in 2025.

Here is an excerpt from that study's abstract:

"Over the past few decades, there has been a marked and largely unexplained decline in the mental health and well-being of young people worldwide. One such factor, often overlooked, is the increasing exposure of children and adolescents to neurotoxic and neuro-disruptive chemicals in the food and beverages they consume. These include agricultural and industrial chemicals (e.g., pesticide residues, heavy metals), additives in ultra-processed foods, and packaging-derived contaminants such as microplastics and bisphenols. ... Altogether, the widespread presence of these neurotoxic and neuro-disruptive chemicals in the body and brain, and growing reports of their adverse impacts on behavior, cognition, and mental health in young people, points to the potential for progressive degradation of brain function that poses a grave threat to the future well-being of society and underscores the urgent need for increased research, funding, and regulation in this area."

Decades of research suggests that genetics plays a huge part in the development of autism, although a string of environmental factors have also been linked to it.

“There will never be a sound-bite answer to what causes autism,” says Tager-Flusberg. Meanwhile, many experts say the increasing prevalence of autism is predominantly caused by an increase in diagnoses and awareness rather than a true rise in occurrence.

As for companion animals, scientists have selectively bred dogs with symptoms of autism for research purposes, and I believe some cats may have a similar condition. Some dogs and cats may prefer to be feral, remaining averse to human contact. Some engage in compulsive behaviors, like the many bull terriers who have been documented to obsessively chase their tails. Cats can develop the equivalent brain disease to Alzheimer’s, so one may consider there could be a similar parallel with autism. For more, read veterinarian Patrica Jordan's article here: dogsnaturallymagazine.com/can-dogs-have-autism.

In my opinion, there are multiple environmental factors that can influence brain development. I am especially concerned about pre- and post-natal exposure to the nonionizing radiation and electromagnetic fields of telecommunication systems. For details, see my post here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/electropollution-existential-threat-to-public-health-and-life-on-earth.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I have been reading and enjoying your column for several years, and have read some of your books. How do you deal with all the bad news about what is happening to wildlife and the environment, as well as all the animal cruelty going on? -- J.G., Winston-Salem, North Carolina

DEAR J.G.: I appreciate you asking this question, and I know that many people feel as I do. Those feelings include frustration, outrage, sadness and grief. What keeps me writing, informing and -- I hope -- inspiring others is my love for animals and nature. That is my antidote to despair.

I do not hate those who cause animal suffering, environmental destruction and the desecration of nature, which many regard as sacred. I pity them. I do my best to show that in harming others, and in harming nature, they ultimately harm themselves. They should be prosecuted, but also educated.

The sciences have shown that we are biologically, physiologically and ecologically connected to nature: the living biosphere of planet Earth. But we are less connected empathically and cognitively, and are causing increasing harm to the life community, including ourselves.

The climate crisis is a wake-up call. Those who chose to live in denial are suffering from what I call "empathy-deficit disorder," which is evident in the political violence and divided factions of society. Collectively, we must become more connected and responsible for animals, nature and each other.

EMISSIONS' EFFECTS ARE 'BEYOND SCIENTIFIC DISPUTE'

The fact that greenhouse gases harm human health is “beyond scientific dispute,” reads a report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, one of the leading scientific bodies in the United States. The report complicates an effort by the Trump administration to revoke its environmental agency’s endangerment finding, the seminal 2009 declaration that came to the same conclusion about harm to human health. If the Trump administration succeeds, the government will no longer have any authority to regulate planet-warming emissions. The National Academies report says the 2009 finding was accurate and “has stood the test of time.”

Adding fuel to the fire, President Trump, in his address at the United Nations on Sept. 23, lambasted green energy alternatives like wind turbines. Climate change, he asserted, is “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”

SOME DOGS CAN CATEGORIZE WORDS

Some dogs have large vocabularies and can learn categories of words based on function, like toddlers do, according to a study in Current Biology. Researchers found that dogs can associate words like “pull” and “throw” with functional categories of toys, even when the toys vary in appearance.

See the study "A citizen science model turns anecdotes into evidence by revealing similar characteristics among Gifted Word Learner dogs" by Shany Dror et al., published in Scientific Reports in 2023.

CAT LIKELY CONTRACTED H5N1 INFECTION FROM RAW FOOD

A cat in San Francisco was euthanized after getting infected with H5N1 avian influenza, likely from consuming infected raw chicken. The virus was found in two lots of RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats, according to the FDA. Genetic sequencing showed that the H5N1 lineage in the food and the cat was one that had been circulating in birds and cattle last November and December. (Full story: The Associated Press, Sept. 3)

CONTAMINATED RAW PET FOODS POSE HAZARDS TO PEOPLE

The case of a young girl who developed severe hemolytic uremic syndrome linked to contaminated raw pet food highlights the danger of feeding raw food to pets. Raw food is prone to contamination with E. coli, salmonella and other pathogens. Cross-contamination can occur when people handle contaminated pet food and then prepare food for themselves or their families without washing their hands. (Full story: Food Safety News, Sept. 7)

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)