(Ped Infect Dis J 1995
                   jul;14(7): 588-94)again why?  We all know that NSAIDS
                   like tylenol and iboprofen are implicated.

                   Another one (Infect Med 16 (5):307, 1999 noted severe
                   Group A beta-hemolytic strap in children who had had
                   antipyretic medication.

                   MMWR, May 15, 1998, Vol 47 No 18 listed chickenpox
                   cases too.But these parents don't appear to have been
                   asked about Nonsteroid anti-inflammatories, or -
                   tylenol.

                   Pediatrics Vol 103, No 4, April 1999, pg 783+ again
                   noted the association of ibuprofen with serious
                   complications - and elsewhere in the same issue.

                   Acta Paediatri Jpn 1994 Aug;36(4):375-8 shows that
                   administration of any antipyretic drugs in children
                   with infectious diseases worsens their illnesses.

                   Why?   Because it appears that anti-pyretics down-
                   regulate the immune response.  This is only natural,
                   since the reason for a fever is to switch on certain
                   cytokines, and push the immune system up from the
                   fourth gear to the tenth (prely as an imagery picture,
                   here), to help deal with the problem.  There is very
                   clear evidence that tylenol creates an ineffective
                   immune system in some children, and as Ped Infect Dis
                   1996:15: 355-53 points out about the immune system in
                   general - not in particular to Tylenot - "an
                   ineffective immune response to certain organisms can
                   result in life-threatening infection."

                   Better yet, a Journal called Family Practice, Volume
                   13, No 2, 1996 stated:

                   "Paracetamol prescribing is reaching epidemic
                   proportions and the potential dangers of hepatotoxicity
                   and the inhibition of the immune response in children
                   are discussed."

                   He goes on to say:

                   "Despite our lack of knowledge about its therapeutic
                   mechanism, it has been claimed to be a safe frug,
                   especially for children...there is mounting evidence
                   that paracetamil is not the benign drug that it was
                   formally thought to be... We would question the whole
                   rational of prescribing the drug in near epidemic
                   proportions...there is little concern about its use in
                   the short term as an ANALGESIC, there is considerable
                   controversy over its use as an
                   antipyretic...paracetamol may decrease antibody
                   response to infection and increase morbidity and
                   mortality in severe infections....too many parents and
                   health workers think that fever is bad and needs to be
                   suppressed by paracetamio, when indeed, moderate fever
                   may improve the immune response."

                   In another earlier study in the Lancet March 9, 1991 pg
                   591 it was stated  "Studies have clearly shown that
                   fever helps laboratory animals to survive an infection
                   whereas antipyresis increases mortality (death). 
                   Moreover, there is considerable in-vitro evidence that
                   a variety of human immunological defences function
                   better at febrile temperatures than at normal ones."

                   It is a natural thing to say that if your child was
                   vaccinated against chickenpox, they won't get it (....?
                   maybe) so you then wouldn't have to worry about the use
                   of tylenol.

                   tylenol should never be used in any
                   case of infectious disease, for several reasons -
                   first, it suppresses the immune system.  Second it
                   makes most children sleepy.  Third - the combination of
                   those two factors can mask critical symptoms which
                   would alert a parent to a problem, so that as in the
                   case of many if not most of the recent chickenpox
                   cases - by the time they get to hospital, the situation
                   is very severe indeed.

                   Do you think then, in the light of the literature, all
                   parents should be warned that while they can use
                   Tylenol, or paracetamol as as ANALGESIC - or pain
                   relief, that they should never use it for infectious
                   diseases?