August is National Immunization Awareness Month in the United States. Immunizations are a key part of daily health as well as travel travel health. During this month, we will be looking at immunizations, the diseases they treat and individuals who have been affected by them. We hope you’ll enjoy and share these important posts as part of an international effort to end vaccine-preventable disease around the globe.
A new, effective, Ebola vaccine announced Friday is a historic step forward in defeating the deadly disease and restoring a sense of normalcy for residents and travelers to the West African region.
The trickiest part about flu shots isn’t that they involve needles or visiting a clinic but rather how they are made. Often people ask, “Why do I need a yearly flu shot?” It’s a common question that many Passport Health clients ask on a regular basis, whether it is in a clinic or at an on-site event. The answer is simple, but there are complications that underlie the explanation.
To explain, let’s look at measles. The disease that made headlines just seven months ago as it slowly spread to various regions within the United States, Canada and Mexico only requires two injections at a young age to provide full coverage and then potentially a booster depending on exposure. This is very different from influenza which requires a yearly injection, even if someone is not in a high-risk group.
Rolling volcanic hills laced with hiking and biking trails sound like a landscape one would find in Hawaii or other Pacific Island chains, but, for one African country, these vistas are helping to reshape its national identity.
A mere twenty years ago, Rwanda was known for genocide. Warring factions slaughtered each other in a fight that left as many as 1 million people dead and the country filled with economic and political turmoil. Now, the war is a harsh memory, and the country is attempting to reach beyond it. Cycling has played a key role in this process.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that affects hundreds of millions of people each year. Recent estimates show over 300 million people are infected each year, and more than 1 million die from the disease. However, many travelers decide to forego the necessary malaria medications before and after traveling.
In some cases this is because travelers ‘believe’ they won’t get malaria despite the fact that a risk is indicated. Often, these individuals think because they are staying for a short time in an endemic region or are staying at a resort, they are safe. This is not correct.
