Back-To-School Vaccines are Important

Back-To-School means more than shopping for pencils and backpacks. It also means it is time for your child to get the necessary vaccinations. Doing so not only protects your child from preventable illnesses, it also helps protect your community. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advice that can help students stay healthy during the school year. One of those recommendations includes back-to-school vaccinations. Some schools will require that parents provide a certificate of immunization on order for their child to attend school. Parents should contact their child’s school and find out what their rules regarding vaccination are. … Continue reading →

Stomach Flu Hits

It’s always something, isn’t it? First, we see an outbreak of the regular flu, then I read today that there’s a new strain of norovirus, commonly known as the stomach flu. It’s going around and experts say there may not be much you can do to avoid it, especially since it doesn’t have a vaccine yet. It always seems like these viruses are always just one step ahead of the doctors. This one, called the Sydney strain, is typical – it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and a just general yucky feeling. But, experts say this one may be hard to … Continue reading →

The Flu and Pneumonia

When I was growing up, my mother repeatedly warned me about getting pneumonia. “Don’t got outside without a coat, or you’ll get pneumonia,” or “Stay in bed with that cough or you’ll get pneumonia.” While we now know that going outside without a coat won’t make you catch pneumonia (although it can affect some people’s immune systems), she was sort of correct on one point. If you have the flu, you can develop pneumonia. I want to point out that pneumonia is not a bad case of the flu. The flu is a viral infection, separate from pneumonia. Pneumonia is … Continue reading →

Avoiding the Flu

If you’ve been watching the news, you know the flu is a serious health issue this season. I know in Memphis, the school system sent home a note about how to avoid the flu. But, it is nationwide. Actor Burt Reynolds was hospitalized in the ICU due to severe hydration from the flu. So, what can you do to protect yourself? The government has set up a website (http://www.flu.gov) with tips to help you make it safely through the season. The number one thing suggested by experts is to get vaccinated. The vaccination is available for children as young as … Continue reading →

Should You Keep Your Child Home?

Every parent has faced that morning uncertainty when their child comes down the stairs and says he doesn’t feel well, just as you are getting his lunch ready for school. Should you keep him home from school or send him? Sometimes the answer isn’t very clear cut. Here is some advice that can help. Runny Nose and Cough If your child has a runny nose by itself, you can usually send your child to school. However, if it is accompanied by other symptoms or is severe, then keeping him home is the best option. For example, if the runny nose … Continue reading →

Is H1N1 Still a Threat?

Just more than a year ago, we were scrambling to make sure that our kids were vaccinated against the H1N1 flu. We heard about children and pregnant women dying from this illness and how it stuck many young people. Long lines for scarce shots had people in a panic. But is H1N1 still a threat? Well, yes and no. Fortunately, the pandemic was much less severe than was predicted. Many people are placing blame for panic on the World Health Organization (WHO) and claiming that it was all an unnecessary scare. Many countries have stockpiles of unused H1N1 vaccines that … Continue reading →

Destroying the Flu Vaccine

On Wednesday, more than 40 million doses of Swine Flu vaccine expired. This is the largest amount of leftover flu vaccine in recent history that has to be destroyed. So what happened? I am a big believer in vaccinations. My husband and I do our best to make sure that our family is vaccinated on time, and that includes the flu vaccination. In fact, as soon as it becomes available, generally in the early fall, I sign everyone up. Last year, you know we had to deal with the new Swine Flu or H1N1, as it is more accurately known. … Continue reading →

Swine Flu Vaccine Supply Finally Catches up with Demand

It only took two months, but it seems that the supply of swine flu vaccine here in the United States has finally caught up with the demand. A lot of people have had trouble getting the vaccine so far — you may have heard stories of (or experienced) long lines and canceled flu shot clinics. Still, a lot of high risk people did manage to get a swine flu shot. Now there should be swine flu shots a-plenty… just in time for the virus to start fading away. Experts are seeing the number of new cases go down, but that … Continue reading →

Swine Flu: Two Week Rebound?

In the last few days, two of my friends who’ve had swine flu have been talking about a “swine flu rebound”. To make a long story short, it seems that a good number of people who have had swine flu experience a reappearance of symptoms a couple of weeks after they thought they were better. One friend thought it might be linked to folks over-exerting themselves. I can understand that — when I’m sick, I suddenly get the urge to go out and do things and be social… specifically because I know I can’t or shouldn’t be doing those things. … Continue reading →

Having Trouble Finding a Flu Shot?

While I was out running errands on Saturday, I noticed a sign on the door of the local Rite Aid pharmacy: all flu shot clinics are canceled. It went on to suggest other places where people might be able to find a seasonal flu or swine flu vaccine. It seems like demand for the flu shots is high, and suppliers aren’t able to keep up just yet. More than one friend has mentioned hitting the flu shot clinics and being turned away (in some cases, it’s happened more than once). Part of the problem is that swine flu vaccine manufacturers … Continue reading →