CDC Recommends Wearing Cloth Masks Outside

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people wear cloth masks while in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to manage – for example in grocery stores and pharmacies. This advice is recommended for everyone, and especially those that are in an area of significant community based transmission of COVID-19. The CDC states that they now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (also called “asymptomatic”). Those people can – unknowingly – spread the virus to others before showing symptoms. The purpose of wearing a cloth mask … Continue reading →

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 →

Danish Study Finds MMR Vaccine NOT Associated with Risk of Autism

A Danish study found that the measles vaccine does not cause autism, not even in children who are considered to be high risk because they have a sibling who has autism. This study adds to the scientific research that contradicts the debunked paper done by Andrew Wakefield. The study is titled: “Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccinations and Autism: A Nationwide Cohort Study”. It was done by Anders Hviid, Dr. MedSci; Jørgen Vinsløv Hansen, Ph.D; Morten Frisch, DrMedSci; and Mads Melbye, DrMedSci. The objective of the study was: To evaluate whether the MMR vaccine increases the risk for autism in children, subgroups of … Continue reading →

Teens of Anti-Vax Parents are Getting Vaccinations

An interesting thing is happening with teens who were raised by anti-vax parents. The teens are actively seeking out credible information about vaccines and then going to doctors to get themselves vaccinated. NBC reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 101 cases of measles as of February 8, 2019. Fifty-five of those cases were in Washington state, the epicenter of the outbreak. Almost all of the cases occurred in children younger than 10 whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate them. The World Health Organization lists vaccine hesitancy among the ten top threats to global health in … Continue reading →

Things to Know About the Zika Virus

The Zika virus has been in the news and is definitely something to be aware of. This is especially true for women who are pregnant, and also for anyone who is living in an area where a Zika virus outbreak has occurred. The Zika Virus is Not New Zika is not a brand new virus that appeared from out of nowhere. It was first discovered in 1947. The virus is named after the Zika forest in Uganda. The first human cases of Zika were reported in 1952. In May of 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert … Continue reading →

CDC: “Make Sure Your Child is Fully Immunized”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that cases of measles are on the rise in the United States. A Washington Post article that was published on April 24, 2014, points out that (at the time of publishing) 129 people, in 13 states, across the United States, had been infected with measles in the first four months of 2014. The CDC says this is the biggest measles outbreak in the United States since 1996. The CDC website points out that measles is a highly contagious disease, and that it can be very serious for young children. The … Continue reading →

Ear Infections? New Guidelines May Make It Harder for Your Child to Get Antibiotics

It is a rare parent who is not familiar with childhood ear infections. While my own family has been blessed to have gotten off with relative ease (no chronic ear infections, tubes needed, etc), the fact is that I’ve administered my share of the refrigerated pink goo medicine that gave our kids much-needed antibiotics over the years. As a parent, you get to know the signs and symptoms, the crying and tugging in a young child, the complaining in an older one, sometimes each accompanied by fever or following a cold or respiratory illness. Now, newer guidelines to physicians may … 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 →