In the past few months, San Diego has seen a spike in the number of hepatitis A cases; the San Diego County Board of Supervisors puts the latest count at 516 cases, including 357 hospitalizations and 19 deaths. Vaccines, in fulfilling their original purpose, are preventative health tools meant to impede the potential for outbreaks of disease. Yet, outbreaks do occasionally occur and expose a large number of uninfected individuals who may not be immunized against diseases that are normally vaccine-preventable.
Giving Patients a Boost Toward Immunity
When it comes to keeping up with vaccinations, “booster” doses—doses administered after a completed series for added protection—are sometimes skipped. The CDC recommends that after age 19, adults should receive a Tdap booster dose every 10 years, yet only one out of every five adults receives a Tdap booster.
How to Keep Patients From “Catching” Pneumonia
“You’re going to catch pneumonia.” We’ve all heard the phrase – and maybe even had it directed at us. But, providers know it is not that easy to “catch” pneumonia. In reality, people catch the bacteria, viruses or fungi that can eventually cause pneumonia. With this often-misunderstood illness, providers have an opportunity to educate patients about the severity of pneumonia and help them determine the immunization recommendations that are right for them.
Staying Current With Proper Vaccine Storage and Management
In early 2017, nearly 900 children in Ocean County, New Jersey faced possible revaccination when state health officials discovered that a pediatrician administered mumps, measles, chicken pox and other vaccines that had been improperly stored. The New Jersey example gives a glimpse into an important question among practices and clinics: how best to store vaccines.
The Rigorous Voyage of Vaccine Safety
When presented with a patient or a parent that is concerned about the use of vaccines, clinicians have many choices about what to do. One approach worthy of consideration is educating patients on the vaccine approval process that has led to what the CDC reports as the safest vaccine supply in U.S. history.
Five Effective Strategies for Increasing Immunization Rates
Improving Cancer Prevention in Youth Through Vaccines
The Great Race for Vaccination Innovation
As the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, said, “Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future.” Medicine is ever-evolving, and this is especially true as it relates to vaccines. Vaccination research continues to advance the effectiveness of current vaccines and address new threatening viruses.
Shining the Spotlight on Mumps
The Added Benefits of Flu Shots – Healthy Hearts
A Rising Tide of Vaccine Hesitancy
Preventing the Flu This Season Will Have to Start With a Shot
Lessons Learned From the Man Who Eradicated Smallpox
In August, we lost a giant in the field of epidemiology, a man credited with leading the war on history’s most lethal disease – smallpox. The passing of Dr. Donald A. Henderson leaves us to both appreciate his life’s work, and learn from, and apply, its lesson.