Vaccines/Immunizations
Latest articles on Vaccines/Immunizations
The Medical College of Wisconsin's Deidre L. Faust, MD, notes that while shingles can occur at any time, the incidence increases with age as immunity seems to wane.
"One of the lessons learned from those earlier flu episodes was the importance of being prepared for future public health disasters that challenge the medical system's ability to provide care," says Ralph M. Schapira, MD.
The Medical College of Wisconsin's Deidre L. Faust, MD, answers questions about Zostavax, the shingles vaccine that has been available since 2006.
Dr. Deidre Faust notes that even within small countries, diseases such as malaria might be a risk in one city, but not in another, so it makes a difference to know exactly where you will be going and what you will be doing.
It's important to see your doctor as soon as you suspect that you might have shingles, advises Deidre L. Faust, MD. Early treatment can often reduce the risk for pain and complications.
"The most common cause of liver cancer worldwide is chronic hepatitis B infection," says Dr. Kia Saeian, Associate Professor of Medicine and and Director of the Froedtert & Medical College Hepatitis Treatment Program.
"Acute hepatitis can cause short-term jaundice, fatigue which is severe in some people, and itching, which is very common," says Dr. Kia Saeian. "Most people with hepatitis A get a complete resolution of their symptoms."
Dr. Julie Mitchell explains that immunizations prevent disease not only by protecting the vaccinated individual, but also by reducing the transmission of the disease so that it's less likely that anyone gets it.
When the flu season hits us - and it will - is there any way to avoid the worst of it? The simplest and surest way is to be vaccinated.
By making sure that you and your family have the vaccines needed to protect against diseases, you fight disease in two ways: you protect yourselves and you also protect others.
Rotavirus is very contagious, spreading easily from children who are already infected. In fact, nearly every child in the US has been infected by age 5.
Rodney Willoughby, MD, led the team that, for the first time, saved the life of an un-immunized rabies patient. "The sense is that we're very close to a second survivor," he says.
"Probably 80% of the population, at some time in their lives, will have been exposed to HPV," notes Dr. Fredrik Broekhuizen. "That makes HPV itself not only a disease, but almost part of the human condition."
"It's important to realize that early sexual activity crosses all demographics - urban and rural, rich and poor, boys and girls. It's not about someone else's kids - it's about our kids," says Dr. LuAnn Moraski.
The growing number of cases and high death rate from H5N1 is a legitimate cause for concern, says G. Richard Olds, MD, but we might better spend our resources on preparing for the more common influenzas that strike yearly.
Although avian influenza is an obvious concern, other issues need our attention, says Dr. G. Richard Olds. "We should be focusing on health care in general, focusing on the many public health problems that impact people in our communities today."
The recent mumps outbreak was huge both statistically and in terms of the lessons it offered about preventing a recurrence, notes G. Richard Olds, MD, an immunization expert at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity of illness and the treatment differ.
A major public health milestone has been achieved in the United States: the rubella virus, a major cause of serious birth defects such as deafness and blindness, is no longer considered to be a major public health threat.
Most toddlers in the US received their early childhood vaccinations on time in 2003, gaining protection from a wide variety of diseases, but some very low immunization rates remain in central urban communities and low-population rural areas.
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