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Flu Vaccine a Good Idea for Your Family?

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:12:30 +0000

The flu season is from November to April, with most cases occurring between late December and early March, but the vaccine is usually offered between September and mid-November (and may be given at other times of the year).

Getting the shot before the flu season is in full force gives the body a chance to build up immunity to, or protection from, the virus. Although you can get a flu shot well into flu season, it’s best to try to get it earlier rather than later. However, even when there are only 2 or 3 months left in the flu season, it’s still a good idea to get protection if the vaccine is available in your area.

In times when the vaccine is in short supply, certain people need it more than others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) often will recommend that certain high-risk groups be given priority when flu shot supplies are limited. Call your doctor or local public health department about vaccine availability in your area.

A non-shot option, the nasal mist vaccine, is now available, but because it contains weakened live flu viruses it is not for people with weakened immune systems or certain health conditions. The nasal mist vaccine is only for healthy, non-pregnant people between the ages of 2 and 49 years. Check with your doctor to see if your child can — or should — get this type of flu vaccine.

Who Should Get the Flu Shot?

Federal health officials now urge flu vaccination for all kids 6 months of age and older (instead of just the youngest, as before). Although young tots (from 6 months to 5 years old) are still considered the group of kids who need the flu vaccine the most, updated guidelines from the CDC now recommend that allolder kids and teens get it, too (as long as enough is available).

Other high-risk kids who should get the flu vaccine include those who:

were born prematurely and are at increased risk of developing lung problems if they get influenza
have chronic heart or lung disorders, including asthma
have chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, severe anemia, or immune deficiency (including HIV/AIDS and immunosuppression caused by drugs)
are on long-term aspirin therapy and may be at risk for Reye syndrome if they catch the flu
live with someone in any of the high-risk groups above

High-risk adults who should get the flu vaccine include:

those who have chronic lung or heart disorders
those who have chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, severe anemia, or immune deficiency (including HIV/AIDS and immunosuppression caused by drugs)
pregnant women
residents of nursing homes and other facilities that care for people with chronic medical conditions
health care workers and other employees of hospitals, nursing homes, and chronic care and other outpatient facilities who care for patients
police, firefighters, and other public safety workers
those planning to travel to the tropics at any time or to the Southern Hemisphere from April through September who did not receive a flu vaccine the previous year
everyone 50 years of age or older
out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of anyone in any of the high-risk groups

If you want to get the flu shot and aren’t in the high-risk groups listed above, talk to your doctor about vaccine availability.

People who should not get a flu shot include:

anyone who’s severely allergic to eggs and egg products (ingredients for flu shots are grown inside eggs, so tell your doctor if your child is allergic to eggs or egg products before he or she gets a flu shot)
infants under 6 months old
anyone who’s ever had a severe reaction to a flu vaccination (although most people do not experience any side effects from the flu shot)
anyone with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare condition that affects the immune system and nerves
anyone with a fever

Kids under 9 who get a flu shot for the first time will receive two separate shots a month apart. It can take about 1 or 2 weeks after the shot for the body to build up protection to the flu.

Symptoms of Rabies

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:30:53 +0000

Symptoms of Rabies, rabies symptoms, rabies dog, rabies shots, rabies vaccinations, rabies vaccination

Symptoms usually develop between 20 and 60 days after exposure. Rabid animals may become aggressive, combative, and highly sensitive to touch and other kinds of stimulation. And they can be vicious. This is the “furious” form of rabies, the kind traditionally associated with mad dogs.

There is also a “dumb” form of the disease in which the animal is lethargic, weak in one or more limbs, and unable to raise its head or make sounds because its throat and neck muscles are paralyzed. In both kinds of animal rabies, death occurs a few days after symptoms appear, usually from respiratory failure.

In humans, the course is similar. After a symptom-free incubation period that ranges from 10 days to a year or longer (the average is 30 to 50 days), the patient complains of malaise, loss of appetite, fatigue, headache, and fever. Over half of all patients have pain (sometimes itching) or numbness at the site of exposure. They may complain of insomnia or depression.

Two to 10 days later, signs of nervous system damage appear, hyperactivity and hypersensitivity, disorientation, hallucinations, seizures, and paralysis. Death may be sudden, due to cardiac or respiratory arrest, or follow a period of coma that can last for months with the aid of life-support measures.

Description of Rabies

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:47:29 +0000

Cats, dogs and cattle account for nearly 90 percent of rabies cases in domestic animals, with horses, mules, sheep, goats and ferrets making up the remaining cases.

Among wild animals, the disease is most often reported in skunks and raccoons.

Other wild species in this country in which rabies is commonly found include bats, foxes, and rodents.

The rabies virus, present in the saliva of an infected animal, is usually spread by a bite or scratch that punctures the victim’s skin.

The virus has a strong affinity for cells of the nervous system. It enters nerve cells at the site of the wound, travels to the brain, and then follows other nerve pathways to muscles and organs that are especially affected by rabies.

There are at least two other ways in which humans have been known to have contracted rabies, both extremely rare. Two people were exposed by breathing the air in caves inhabited by rabid bats. And six people contracted rabies following implants of corneas from donors who had undiagnosed rabies.

The virus concentrates in the salivary glands, which explains why it is usually spread by bites. It also invades and damages the muscles involved in drinking and swallowing.

Most human victims, and apparently lower animals as well, suffer excruciating pain on swallowing liquids. Though they suffer from thirst, animal and human rabies victims can be terrified by the sight of water, hence another name for the disease, hydrophobia.

Definition of Rabies

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:41:48 +0000

Definition of Rabies, rabies symptoms, rabies dog, rabies shots, rabies vaccinations, rabies vaccination, rabies vaccines Rabies is a disease (caused by the rabies virus) primarily of animals, including both wild and domestic animals and human beings. Although people usually associate rabies with dogs, among domesticated animals in the U.S., rabies today is more likely to be [...] Related posts: