Being pregnant can be one of the most exciting times of your life. It is a journey, one where you want to keep you and your little one safe until the baby’s eventual arrival. This includes all of the various tests and vaccines that women get when they are pregnant. It is well known that pregnant women should receive a flu shot, but what about tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine? Should you get one? The answer to that question is a definite yes.
Antimalarial medication is used to both prevent and treat malaria. When used correctly and taken for the prescribed duration, these medications can reduce your chance of contracting malaria by up to a staggering 90%.
Taking antimalarials can be an essential step to keeping you safe on your trip abroad. For some travellers, access to antimalarials could be a crucial reason to visit a travel clinic. Should you consider antimalarials? Here are the questions travellers should be asking themselves before they travel to a malaria-endemic location.
Vaccines are created with a common purpose: to keep us safe while stopping the spread of deadly illnesses. But, not all vaccines are developed in the same way. Two of the main types of vaccines are weakened and dead vaccines. What exactly are weakened and dead vaccines? And what is the difference between the two?
Although it may not feel like it, the fall months are right around the corner. Colder, wetter temperatures causing people to stay inside also bring increased exposure to germs and viruses. Suddenly finding yourself with a runny nose, cough, and muscle aches from the common cold or influenza is not uncommon during the colder seasons.
While influenza may seem more like a nuisance than a fatal disease, it is possible to die from the virus. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported of the 35.5 million people sick from influenza, 34,200 people died from the disease between 2018-2019.
But just how deadly is influenza and who is most at risk?
Our primary method of vaccination uses a needle and syringe to inject a serum into our bodies which helps train our immune system to protect us from infections. But, scientists are discovering new needle-free methods of vaccination.
Needle-free vaccines are being developed as a response to many concerns about standard needle-syringe vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, estimates that more than 300,000 healthcare providers experience needle-stick injuries annually in US hospitals. An estimated 5 accidental needle-stick injuries occur per 100 injections worldwide, posing a considerable risk to healthcare workers.
Getting sick during or after travelling is nothing new. Washing hands frequently, wearing a mask, and being careful what you eat and drink can help protect you from illness when in a new place.
Most travellers do not think about protecting their eyes when they travel. Pink eye — also known as conjunctivitis — can be irritating, possibly painful, and will make travel less fun. Knowing how to safeguard your peepers from pink eye can save you from this annoyance while on vacation.
A new CDC report on the 2013-2014 flu season shines a surprising light on certain parts of the nation. Last year, 46.2% of the US population were vaccinated against the flu, but some states and demographics fell way below that national average.
One standout was Utah where only 41.5% of the population received a flu shot. At five percent below the national average, Utah’s vaccination rate is nowhere near the worst in the nation, but what is going on with younger individuals in this state is far more surprising. The flu vaccination rate in children ages 6 months to 17 years old was 9% below the national average.
Why are so many children in Utah going unvaccinated? And, why is the same thing happening in Idaho?
Indeed, the state most famous for its potatoes is 13.4% below the national average for child vaccinations, nearly double its deficit for adults which sits at 6.9% below average.
It is troubling that in both states, a large number of adults are deciding not just to forego vaccinations for themselves, but also for their children.
Meanwhile, states such as New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are far above the national average vaccination rate, and 12 to 19 percent more children living in these areas receive flu vaccines than their counterparts out West.
Although the CDC has not released any reasons for the vaccination gaps among various locales, questions need to be asked. Is this an East vs. West difference? A difference in availability? A difference in culture? Or simply a difference in parenting?
We’d like to hear from you, so please leave a comment on why you decide to get your child a flu vaccination and why you think these differences might exist.
To schedule your own flu vaccination, contact one of Passport Health’s flu specialists at 1-888-499-PASS (7277).
Scientists in British Columbia, Canada, have found the path of a 2010 measles outbreak linked to the Vancouver Olympics, but their research has also given us a look into the importance of vaccination.
The research, which was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, followed the spread of the measles virus almost immediately after the 2010 Olympics. Through genome sequencing, the researchers were able to track the virus’s spread and identify where it likely originated from.
Of the two strains, one spread throughout a general area while the other took a slightly different route and could be seen following a single highway, slowly spreading north.
Heroes are cool, but it’s really easy to rally around a good villain.
The Lex Luthors. The Hans Grubers. The Lord Voldemorts.
It’s much harder to pinpoint the bad guy when it comes to disease.
While germs and bacteria make up the illness, they don’t provide a visible target to resent.
No, the blame and contempt for an epidemic often falls on “patient zero”.
This is how we get legends like Typhoid Mary. Vilified for carrying the deadly disease throughout New York, even though she had no idea what her actions could create.
Imagine a plague that infected millions in just a year, killing as many as 5,000 people per day. For the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, this nightmare was a reality. Beginning in about 541 CE, the Plague of Justinian swept through Europe, killing up to a quarter of the Eastern Mediterranean population and possibly as much as 10 percent of the world’s population.
Despite the catchy name, the Plague of Justinian was identified as the bubonic plague, otherwise known for its 14th Century cousin, “The Black Death.” The disease earned its name from Justinian, the ruler of the Byzantine Empire at the time. It also has a double meaning, as Justinian’s handling of the crisis was almost its own form of infection.
As farmers and other workers were dying by the thousands, Justinian was unable to complete many of the projects he had started and began to raise taxes and change the tax code.
Procopius, a scholar of the time, explained:
“When pestilence swept through the whole known world and notably the Roman Empire, wiping out most of the farming community and of necessity leaving a trail of desolation in its wake, Justinian showed no mercy towards the ruined freeholders. Even then, he did not refrain from demanding the annual tax, not only the amount at which he assessed each individual, but also the amount for which his deceased neighbors were liable.”
We don’t know the exact symptoms of the Plague of Justinian. The current symptoms for bubonic plague include:
Procopius described victims suffering from these and also other symptoms including:
He even said some would die almost immediately after the onset of symptoms. However, we don’t know how accurate his reporting was. Procopius said the plague was killing 10,000 people every day, but modern estimates put the daily death toll to closer to 5,000.
Like the modern bubonic plague, scientists believe the Plague of Justinian spread through fleas. Studies indicate the plague may have originated in China or India and was then transported to the fertile valleys of Egypt through trade routes. In 541, the Egyptian port of Pelusium was the first city to document cases, and, by 542, cases were seen as far north as England.
Due to the nature of ancient records, we don’t know the full extent of the disease’s spread. We know the Mediterranean region was the hardest hit, but anecdotal evidence indicates some cases occurred in England, Germany and other northern regions.
Justinian wasn’t just a leader; he was also a conqueror. By 542, he had reconquered most of the Roman Empire’s previous domain and was hoping to solidify his rule. The plague made this all but impossible as farmers, soldiers and other key members of society fell ill and died from the disease.
By 568, Justinian’s empire began to crumble as the Lombards invaded Northern Italy, and, within a few generations, enemies were at the gates. Byzantium remained a power through 1453, but it would never be as large as it had been before the plague.
Just as with many other ancient diseases, this question has been under investigation for years. A study conducted by Northern Arizona University found the Plague of Justinian came from a now extinct form of Y. pestis or bubonic plague. So in short, it is still around. But, we are unlikely to see anything like Justinian’s Plague or the Black Death in modern times.
“We’ve greatly improved hygiene since the times of the great pandemics,” said one researcher. “The other thing is we not have antibiotics, and plague is susceptible to every antibiotic.”
To learn more about bubonic plague, see the CDC portal. To learn more about other eradicated, or nearly eradicated diseases, see our polio and measles, mumps and rubella pages.
If you are planning a trip, especially one where you may come in contact with rodents, book an appointment at your local Passport Health by calling or booking online today.
What are your thoughts on this terrible plague? Let us know in the comments below, on Facebook or Twitter.
