Getting shots is no fun and you have had your flu shot, but should you get the pneumonia shot or pneumococcal vaccine as well? Asthma is a risk factor for the invasive pneumococcal disease — what the pneumonia shot protects against. And while it is not as common as the flu, which you should protect yourself…
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These days you may need just a tetanus shot, or a vaccination against tetanus, diptheria and pertussis. Tetanus is a bacterial infection of the nervous system, also known as lockjaw. Symptoms include muscle stiffness, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms and seizures. Death occurs in approximately 10 to 20 percent of those infected, but the rate of…
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When patients with Ebola are sickest, they are the most infectious. There’s virus in the body fluids that they create. It’s as if a very sick Ebola patient is covered in sticky syrup or messy cake flour. No matter what, syrup ends up on anything. Healthcare workers use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to keep the syrup from getting on themselves. That…
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Despite there being no evidence showing a link between vaccines and autism, rumors about the connection persist. Vaccinated children develop autism at the same rate as unvaccinated children. Avoiding vaccines because of the persisting myth that they cause autism is dangerous. While it won’t prevent a child from getting autism, it also won’t protect them…
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It seems when one kid is sick at home, everyone gets sick. But in the hospital, it’s not just one patient who is sick. It might be hundreds of patients. Yet, the doctors and nurses who take care of them don’t get sick. They don’t suit up like they’re going to the moon, but they…
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It is recommended that all adults receive a tetanus booster shot every ten years. Tetanus shots are not just tetanus shots, however. They’re almost always bundled with another vaccine unless you’re getting the shot because of a deep, dirty cut or a similar wound. It is not just rusty nails that you have to worry…
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Kids get a lot of vaccinations when they are little, but many parents and other adults forget that they may need immunizations too. Just because you are an adult doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk for certain diseases. In some cases, depending on age and other factors, adults may be more at risk for these…
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The only way to prevent measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. One MMR vaccine provides around 93 percent protection against measles. A second booster dose, which started to be recommended in 1990, helps to improve the effectiveness of the measles vaccine to more than 97 percent. While it’s always important to…
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There once was a time where the only shot your teen got was a tetanus booster. We now have the ability to vaccinate protect our teens from a number of concerning diseases. Some vaccinations are given routinely, others are given only under special circumstances. It is important for parents to know which vaccines their teens…
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When most Americans think of Cuba, they imagine Fidel in fatigues, cigars nonpareil, yummy rum and jerry-rigged American muscle cars circa 1960. Despite such preconceptions, however, Cuba is a world leader in medical research with much success developing vaccines. Of note, Vaccines refer to any substance that induces an autoimmune reaction whether it be in…
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Many people wonder whether their children really need a flu shot. If they are generally healthy kids, why go through the hassle of getting another shot, right? Unfortunately, not only is this thinking wrong, it could potentially endanger your child. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 20,000 children under…
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Gardasil-9 is a vaccine that protects against infection from the human papillomavirus (HPV), an infectious organism that’s spread through sexual contact. It’s the most current version of the vaccine available, having replaced the original Gardasil vaccine in May 2017. When the first Gardasil came out, it was recommended for girls and women primarily as a…
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