It’s bad enough to be sick, but worse is the thought of passing your illness to someone else. Have you ever wondered when you’re contagious and when you’re not? Some diseases can keep people infectious for a while. For example, people with pertussis (whooping cough) can be contagious for two weeks. People with infectious tuberculosis [...]
Lately it seems like there are a lot of people sick with a cold or the flu. Respiratory viruses often circulate in the wintertime, and this winter is no exception. But when your aunt skips out on a family dinner because she has the flu, is that really what’s making her sick, or does she [...]
Have you received your flu shot yet? December 6 - 12 is the National Influenza Vaccination Week. It's not too late to get vaccinated; especially with the peak flu season coming up. See how quick and easy my experience was. While your arm might be a little sore; it's worth it to avoid getting sick. [...]
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) raises awareness of the role infection prevention plays to improve patient safety and promotes the belief that everyone plays a role in infection prevention. As IIPW expands, more patients benefit from safer healthcare practices and reduced threat of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In response to this important need, the Governor of [...]
Flu season started early this year with Arizona reporting the first locally acquired flu cases last week. You’ve probably seen or heard messages encouraging you to get a flu shot. That’s because it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to take effect in your system, so we want to be sure you are protected [...]
Last flu season was a rough one, mainly because the influenza A (H3) strain in the vaccine did not match the circulating A (H3) strain that was making most people sick. This season, CDC believes the strains in the vaccine will be a good match against the currently circulating strains and provide better protection. Although the flu [...]
Influenza vaccine reduces a child's risk of flu-related intensive care hospitalization by 74% according to a CDC study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. This is the first study that estimates vaccine effectiveness against flu admissions to pediatric intensive care units.
Every year the World Health Organization holds a meeting with worldwide experts to make recommendations for the next season’s Northern Hemisphere flu vaccine. It seems strange to plan for next season when we’re still in the midst of the current flu season, but the vaccine-making process still takes about 6 months. Influenza season generally ramps [...]
A report out by the CDC this week found that people between 18 and 64 years old make up 61% of all flu-related hospitalizations so far this season in the US. In normal years only about 35% of flu hospitalizations are from this age group. H1N1 (the flu strain we saw circulating in the 2009 flu pandemic) is still the [...]
Seems like anytime you hear a 100+ year old person being interviewed about the secret to long life they say “take care of your teeth and feet and drink cod liver oil”. For good reason. Good oral health is critical to a person’s overall health. Tooth decay and gum disease are linked with heart disease, [...]
