Influenza, or the respiratory flu, is an acute viral infection that spreads easily from person to person. The viral disease is a serious public health problem that causes severe illnesses and deaths for higher risk populations but that circulates worldwide and can affect anybody in any age group. Symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, […] More
Tetanus is an acute, often fatal, infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. Tetanus bacteria are found in soil, dust, and manure and enter the human body through broken skin, usually through injuries from contaminated objects. The bacteria produce and disseminate toxins via blood and lymphatics. The toxins act at several sites within the central […] More
Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a group of more than 150 related viruses, forty of which that can infect the genital areas of male and female humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the very common virus currently infects nearly 80 million individuals, or one in four, in the United States. […] More
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends fourteen vaccines for children between birth and age 6, with different vaccines recommended at specific ages in order to boost the effectiveness of the vaccination. However, despite concerns about increased susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases, most health care providers succumb to parental pressure for delayed vaccination […] More
Vaccines are not just for children. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has released the Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule for 2015, which provides a summary of ACIP recommendations for the use of vaccines routinely recommended for adults. An article published last year in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine estimated that 30,000 adults die from […] More
An analysis of patients seeking treatment for the flu at Duke University Hospital reveals that the most severe cases and the cases that require the most intensive treatment occur among unvaccinated individuals. Influenza, or the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. Symptoms include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy […] More
As autumn continues and eventually transitions into winter — and flu season — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that all individuals who are at least six months of age receive a flu vaccine. The flu shot […] More
Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The disease is a bacterial infection in the upper respiratory tract. Symptoms include weakness, sore throat, fever, swollen neck glands, and difficulty breathing. The breathing difficulties associated with diphtheria are the result of a thick gray coating in the nose or throat called […] More
With the number of vaccines offered today, some parents wonder whether children receive too many immunological components that overwhelm the immune system. Do children encounter more immunological components from vaccines today than in the past? The simple answer is no. To answer the question about the number of immunological components from current vaccines, one must […] More
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus that can cause mild to severe illness. Although many people erroneously consider hepatitis a sexually transmitted disease, hepatitis A is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food and water as well as through direct contact with an infectious person. Individuals infected […] More
According to a new recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women should receive the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy during the third trimester. Pertussis, or the whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable and violent coughing, making breathing difficult. Although serious for any individual, the whooping […] More
Although an alarmingly increasing population in the United States is shunning the recommended vaccination schedule provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), scientists at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently announced that evidence is lacking that following the recommended schedule causes developmental or health problems like autism or asthma in children. As […] More
