The latest rumor list released: children's new crown vaccine dose needs to be halved? Not necessarily

As the work of vaccinates children against COVID-19 unfolds, so do some parents' concerns. Many drugs are taken by children in reduced doses, will the vaccine be vaccinated according to the adult dose? In fact, there is no need to worry, the mechanism of the vaccine's role is different from that of therapeutic drugs, and the child does not need to be vaccinated in half the dose. The latest issue of the "Science" gossip list was released, which will "sweep away the hottest health rumors" at the beginning of the new year.

Myth: Small wounds can be disinfected by smearing a little saliva

The truth is that saliva contains "lysozyme", so many people believe that for some small wounds, applying some saliva can be sterilized and disinfected. Indeed, lysozyme is an important non-specific immune factor in the organism, with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, anti-immune, immune, inhibition of foreign microbial growth and other functions. Although saliva contains lysozyme, it cannot play a role in sterilization and disinfection because the content is too small. In addition, the secretion of saliva is affected by many factors, including people's age, eating habits, as well as drug intake, living habits, etc., which vary from person to person and have irregularities.

Most importantly, smearing saliva on a wound is likely to be "poisoned." Because the oral cavity is one of the areas where the human body inhabits a high density and variety of microorganisms, saliva also carries various viruses, fungi and bacteria in the mouth. Therefore, small wounds in daily life are still recommended to be treated with Band-Aids and iodine volts.

Myth: Fresh meat beating suddenly is a parasite

Truth What is the reason why fresh meat that has just been slaughtered will jump spontaneously? Could it be a manifestation of parasites in the flesh? In fact, this is not a parasite at work, but it means that the meat is fresh and the slaughter time is short.

Shortly after slaughter, the central nervous system of fresh meat has died, but the nerve endings around the muscles have not completely died, and the energy substance adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the muscles has not yet been exhausted. Therefore, under the slight stimulation of the outside world, the muscles can also produce beating, which is also called "super-reaction". After a period of slaughter, the ATP in the meat is exhausted, and the muscle fibers lock up and do not beat.

Rumor has it that the dose of covid-19 vaccine for children needs to be halved

Truth As the new crown vaccine is vaccinated in children, some parents can't help but worry about whether their children's vaccination should be used according to the adult dose halved or reduced. With the same dose of vaccination as adults, will there really be a "overload" of the virus?

Currently, the dose and composition of the COVID-19 vaccine is exactly the same for all ages, including children. The use of a uniform dose while ensuring safety is a global approach.

The dosage of therapeutic drugs is either considered by weight, and some also consider the surface area of the body, which is related to factors such as the metabolism of the drug in the body.

However, the mechanism of the vaccine is different from that of therapeutic drugs, and the antigens in the vaccine enter the body, not directly "exerting the effect", but through the immune system antigen presentation, immune cells recognize and produce antibodies, and the antibodies then play a role in blocking viral infection or preventing the onset of disease. The above process has no correlation with body surface area and weight.

In fact, the vast majority of vaccine doses do not distinguish between adults and children. For example, there is no dose difference between hepatitis B vaccine, cervical cancer vaccine, and pneumonia vaccine. In terms of mechanism, after the vaccine enters the body of a child, the mechanism of producing antibodies is exactly the same as that of adults, and there is no difference.

In addition, immunization program experts said that when vaccinating the new crown, they should pay attention to the health of their children. Because children over the age of 5 may have some psychogenic reactions, older children should avoid strenuous exercise and stay for 30 minutes. If a vaccinated child has a situation suspected of being related to an adverse reaction, report it promptly.

If you encounter overlaps with vaccinations from other immunization programmes or non-immunization programmes, it is important to ensure that covid-19 vaccines are more than 14 days apart from other vaccinations.

Myth: Prepared dishes contain preservatives

Truth This year's Spring Festival is popular Chinese New Year's Eve rice "pre-made dish". However, some consumers are worried that after freezing and reheating, the dishes are not fresh, and they believe that some pre-made dishes have a shelf life of up to one year and must contain additives and preservatives.

In fact, the prepared dish is no different from the food we usually eat, with no additional preservatives added. The standardized and traceable production and processing process will make the taste of dishes more stable and the quality safer. Factory pre-made dishes are standardized production, consumers take home as long as they are placed on the gas stove to heat up to restore the taste, the degree of taste recovery and dine-in fresh stir-fry is comparable.

Most of the prepared dishes need to be cooked at high temperatures, which is itself a sterilization process; then the use of liquid nitrogen and other quick-freezing techniques, through ultra-low temperature freezing, can completely inhibit the reproduction of microorganisms, so there is no need to add additional preservatives.

On the other hand, according to the requirements of the packaging standard, all the raw materials should be listed, so the relevant additives in the seasoning used will appear in the ingredient list.

But that doesn't mean that pre-made dishes add more additives than dine-in or homemade dishes. Even foods that consumers buy and cook themselves often contain additives. For example, many soy sauces contain sodium glutamate and potassium sorbate, and some flavored spices contain hydroxypropyl diamyl phosphate, citric acid and the like. As long as it meets the additive standards set by the state, the rational use of additives will not cause harm to the human body.

Myth: Waxed apples are harmful to eat

Some people have a "prejudice" against waxed apples with a smooth and bright skin, believing that the wax layer is poisonous. In fact, fruit wax is a food additive that is allowed to be used worldwide, as long as it is regular waxing, it will not be harmful to human health.

In the normal growth process of apples, the epidermis will naturally secrete a layer of fruit wax to prevent external harmful substances from invading the pulp, which is a powerful measure for apples themselves to fight against the external environment and is harmless to the human body.

The artificial waxing treatment of the fruit after being picked is an important part of the commercialization of the fruit, the purpose is to prevent the loss of water from the apple, the shrinkage of the epidermis, resulting in a decrease in freshness, and at the same time prevent the invasion of microorganisms to prolong the storage time.

In the process of apple production and transportation, waxing is actually a formal operation. Many countries, including the mainland, allow waxing on the surface of fruit to be kept fresh. The mainland's "Hygiene Standards for the Use of Food Additives" stipulates that morpholine fatty acid salts (also known as fruit wax), carnauba wax, etc. can be used as coating agents for fresh fruit surfaces.

Although regular waxing is not harmful to the human body, many people may feel that it is not clean enough and want to completely remove the fruit wax before eating apples. Experts say the easiest way to remove the wax from the peel is to peel it. If you want to save more nutrition for apples, there is a simple and easy way to do it, which is to boil it with hot water.

Myth: Zero danger of setting off "cold fireworks"

Truth During the Spring Festival, many areas still retain the custom of setting off firecrackers and setting off fireworks. The "cold fireworks" that appear on the market have begun to be favored because of their high safety factor. However, "cold fireworks" are not as risk-free as they sound.

Such as "fairy stick" and "electronic fireworks", etc., when fired, the temperature of the flame (spark) is rapidly reduced after the spray, and the temperature at 20cm from the spray port is reduced to about 80 ° C, and the temperature at 50cm from the spray port is reduced to about 40 ° C, so it is commonly known as "cold fireworks". However, when firing such products, the temperature at the injection port is as high as 700 ° C to 800 ° C, which can still burn the human body and ignite flammable substances.

The term "cold fireworks" is misleading, not only are they fireworks, but the basic properties of flammable and explosive dangerous goods have not changed.

Therefore, when producing, operating, storing and discharging "cold fireworks", it is still necessary to strictly abide by the regulations on the safety management of fireworks and firecrackers. When the public discharges "cold fireworks", safety measures generally applicable to fireworks and firecracker products should be adopted, and it is strictly forbidden to display fireworks indoors and in any place where fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited. (Text/Reporter Li Jie)

Source: Beijing Youth Daily