Two deadly diseasesMeasles and the flu have been two popular topics in our local news.
Oddly enough, my husband has a connection to both these viral epidemics!
Since January, our state (Washington) has been dealing with a measles outbreak. It began when an unvaccinated adult returned from overseas, unknowingly infected with the measles. This person went to many public places and exposed countless individuals to the virus.
One … read on
Update April 2019: Shingrix is too popular and there is a shortage! Ask your pharmacy about getting on a waiting list so they can contact you when the vaccine is available again. It may be 6-8 months.
I’m scheduled for an annual exam later this month. As I was perusing the long list of preventive health recommendations for adults, I noticed the shingles vaccine is … read on
Another measles outbreakMy state, Washington, has one of the highest vaccine opt out rates in the country.
Not good.
Thanks to a recent outbreak of measles here, a state of emergency has been declared and legislators have introduced a bill to eliminate the personal exemption for the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella).
Good.
Washington is one of only 18 states that allows parents to refuse vaccinations for … read on
Life before vaccines and antibioticsI know I complain a lot about our current healthcare system and the overuse of medical care.
BUT, I am also very thankful for the advances medicine has made in the last 100 years or so.
The reminder to be more appreciative comes from the hours I spent over the holidays reading old family journals, letters and postcards, most of them dated between 1900 and … read on
Get ready for flu seasonLast year’s flu season was nasty.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) labeled it a “high severity season” because the circulating strains of influenza virus were especially virulent and the season lasted longer than usual.
It’s impossible to predict when flu season will start, but it could be as early as October. The CDC recommends getting your flu shot by the end of October, but … read on
It’s time for those back-to-school shots!It’s that time of year when the days shorten, stores advertise back-to-school clothes, and parents scramble to make appointments with their kids’ pediatricians for sport physicals and immunizations.
At least, I hope they do.
I am a fervent believer in vaccinations, even though I live in the state (Washington) with–sadly–the highest “opt out” rate in the country.
In 1998 a medical journal published … read on
Younger is better, but…Bottom line on top: There is a benefit to getting the HPV vaccine after 26.
The HPV vaccine protects against the most common types of viruses that not only cause cervical cancer, but mouth, throat and anal cancers, as well.
It’s most effective when given before a child becomes sexually active.
But what about all the 20-somethings out there who didn’t have access to this vaccine? … read on
Protect yourself with a flu shotFlu season is reaching its peak. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients and are running out of spare beds.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is reporting widespread, epidemic-level flu activity in almost every state.
The bad news is that this year’s flu strain, H3N2, is especially severe, and the flu vaccine isn’t a great match 😕
But the good news is that if … read on
With the news of another massive hepatitis A outbreak in San Diego, I wanted to re-publish this post from Sept. 2016 about hepatitis A and encourage everyone to get vaccinated! FN
Hepatitis A outbreaksThis morning I read about a hepatitis A outbreak in Virginia. The source is apparently contaminated strawberries used to make smoothies. So far, 40 people have become sick.
Vaccinate your children against the fluIt’s still winter in the southern hemisphere, and Australia is experiencing one of the worst flu seasons it’s ever had.
Which is an early warning to us in the northern hemisphere: the 2017-18 flu season may be long and rough. Experts are suggesting we get our flu shots early this year, especially children as they head back to school.
One of the reasons Australia … read on