Blog
Pneumococcal Disease: Are You Protected?
There’s a disease that kills up to 18,000 US adults age 65 years and older each year. It can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections (sepsis), meningitis, and ear and sinus infections. As many as 900,000 US adults contract it each year — 400,000 of whom require hospitalization. Pneumococcal disease is a serious concern for anyone over the age of 65, but there are safe and effective vaccines to help prevent it.
Improving Lagging Flu Vaccination Rates Among the 65+ Population
Patients should be vaccinated with any available approved influenza vaccine, even if their first choice of vaccine type is not available. CDC states (and I wholeheartedly agree) that it is far better to vaccinate at the first opportunity with whichever vaccine is available than to delay. A vaccine deferred is often a vaccine never received.
ABC News, CDC, & NFID Chat About Flu on Twitter
In partnership with NFID and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Richard Besser, MD chief health and medical editor at ABC News, recently hosted a live tweet chat on influenza (flu) prevention. Participating medical experts encouraged everyone six months and older to #GetVaccinated annually to help #FightFlu.
October Updates from Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
For a more detailed discussion, join NFID on 11/16/16 at 12PM ET for a free webinar offering CME/CNE credit. Online registration is available at: http://bit.ly/acip-1016-webinar
Help Break the Chain of Infection
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) aims to raise awareness about the role that infection prevention plays in improving patient safety. The 2016 theme is “Break the Chain of Infection.”
Flu Season Has Arrived: Get Vaccinated to #FightFlu
Make sure you #FightFlu all season long by practicing the CDC Take 3 Actions to Fight the Flu: 1) Get a flu vaccine, 2) Take everyday preventative actions to stop the spread of germs, and 3) Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.
ID News Round-Up
Recent items of interest from the world of infectious diseases including the latest influenza vaccine recommendations, new policies from AAP to boost childhood immunization rates, new guidelines for the treatment of common sexually transmitted diseases, Zika in the US, and the FDA ban on some common antibacterial ingredients in soaps and body washes.
Why On-Time Vaccination Is So Important
As a mother, I’m certainly thinking about all the things I can do to keep my family safe and healthy for the upcoming school year. As a pediatrician, I also know that this is the perfect time of year to remind parents that on-time vaccination is the best way to protect infants, young children, and teens against 16 serious and potentially deadly diseases.
Meningococcal Disease: Are College Students Protected?
Recent headlines about meningococcal serogroup B outbreaks on US colleges and universities in the past few years have increased public awareness of meningococcal disease. College administrators, health officials, parents, and students face the possibility that a similar crisis could arise on their campuses. Although rare, meningococcal disease can be devastating.
Protect Your Preteens Today from HPV-Related Cancers Tomorrow
As an adolescent medicine specialist, I’m faced with the daily challenge of guiding my patients through their adolescent years in a safe, healthy way. Sadly, there is much beyond my control, but the administration of immunizations is a very straight forward way of protecting them from diseases which I know will have a significant impact on their health. A perfect example of a vaccine that is extremely beneficial to patients in my practice is the HPV vaccine.