A new report from the University of Michigan Risk Science Center claims that the main reason we do not vaccinate is because we are familiar with the disease.

Professor Brian Zikmund-Fisher uses the example of chicken pox to support his claim. He notes how the chicken pox vaccine has been around for nearly 15 years, yet varicella vaccine compliance numbers trail far behind those for the vaccine for MMR. His reasoning is quite simple. We sometimes don’t see the need to vaccinate because we are familiar with the disease.

Continuing with his example of chicken pox, it is estimated that more than 99% of people over the age of 40 have had chicken pox. That is practically everyone. And yet, many of these people have not vaccinated their children against chicken pox. The anti-vaccine movement may have something to do with this statistic, but it is likely that familiarity plays a role too.

Professor Zikmund-Fisher points out how, for many, chicken pox was practically a ‘rite of childhood,’ uncomfortable though it may have been. Having the chicken pox was not ‘that’ bad.

It’s the same basic logic that many people use when deciding to forgo an annual flu vaccination.

“I didn’t get a shot last year. Yes, I got sick, but the flu wasn’t that bad. Why should I get vaccinated now?”

“I can survive the flu. I have before. I don’t need a shot.”

And yet, a Bloomberg View article points out the dangers of this mentality.

Shingles is a resurgence of the chicken pox virus in the body. It attacks the nerves, and, while generally painful, it rarely leads to more serious issues. However, for a portion of the population, it can lead to post herpetic neuralgia, a painful form of nerve damage that can last for a few months or even the rest of the individual’s life.

Interestingly, if 100 people are not vaccinated for shingles, 30 will contract the disease, and, of those 30, about 5 will get post herpetic neuralgia. Compare that to 100 vaccinated individuals; only 15 of these people will end up suffering from shingles, and only 1.5 people will have post herpetic neuralgia. The infection rates drop in half, and the incidence of serious complications decreases markedly with vaccination.

It is estimated that only about 20% of individuals over 60 years old (the group that is eligible for the shingles vaccine) have received it. Professor Zikmund-Fisher uses himself as an example; his parents had chicken pox, he’s had chicken pox, it wasn’t too bad, so he didn’t really see a need for the shingles vaccine. But, he reminds us that vaccination is very necessary.

When dealing with any disease, (and varicella and herpes zoster are no exceptions!) it is crucial to endeavor to avoid complications, and the vaccines for both diseases do just this while saving money too. Indeed, the medications to help treat shingles can easily cost more than $300 with insurance!

The best way to prevent these costly bills and stay healthy is to be prepared and vaccinate as soon as possible. Even a few days delay can make a huge difference as some vaccines can take more than a week to become fully effective in the body.

Don’t be familiar with a virus. Just because it ‘wasn’t that bad’ doesn’t mean vaccinating isn’t important.

For more information on this and other vaccine related topics, please contact our Passport Health immunology specialists either through our website or by calling 1-888-499-PASS (7277).

The flu can be a dangerous disease no matter what stage of life you are in, but for people 65 years of age and above, it can be deadly.

It is estimated that 41% of adults over 65 have diabetes and that an additional 45% have at least one other chronic condition (excluding diabetes) that will affect them for the rest of their lives. These diseases and afflictions surely make life more difficult, but they can also decrease the body’s ability to fight infections like influenza. These individuals, and especially those with diabetes, have a high risk for developing complications from the flu virus like pneumonia.

While hand washing and other standard preventative measures are always useful, the best option for maximum prevention for these older individuals according to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Council on Aging is to receive an annual flu vaccination.

Influenza and pneumonia when combined are the seventh leading cause of death in older adults in the United States. However, both of these diseases can be easily prevented with the help of healthy habits and routine vaccination. Indeed, preventing these diseases is so important that a specialized flu vaccine has been developed for adults over 65 so that they can receive optimal protection and remain healthy during what could otherwise be one of the most dangerous times of the year.

For adults 65 years old and older, the CDC also suggests getting vaccinated as soon as possible in order to help prevent the spread of the virus and in order to have full immunity by the time flu season hits its stride, as the average flu shot takes about two weeks to become fully effective.

Nearly 44,500 hospitalizations were averted last year alone though over-65 vaccinations. This age group accounts for more than half of hospitalizations and 90% of flu-related deaths, making vaccination even more important.

Don’t delay! If you or a loved one are over age 65, get more information on vaccinations and schedule a flu shot appointment by contacting a Passport Health flu specialist via our website or by calling 1-888-499-PASS (7277).

Scientists are suggesting a radical idea to end rabies throughout the world; although it might seem crazy, this idea may well work. Wildlife veterinarian Felix Lankester, in a commentary published in Science, has said that the best way to combat the deadly disease might just be to vaccinate the world’s dog population.

The plan seems a little farfetched on the surface. It’s estimated that India alone has as many as 30 million street dogs, and according to estimates, as many as 70% would need to be vaccinated in order to reduce rabies cases to near extinct levels. But, Lankester has started an interesting child-based program that has been highly effective.

He and his team have traveled around the rural areas of Tanzania vaccinating dogs. They start around dawn with the goal of attracting as many children as possible. Generally, in these areas, street dogs are as much pets as anything else, and they will follow the children around. As interest picks up throughout the day, the clinical team ends up vaccinating around 1,000 dogs per day.

Since Lankester started the program, rabies fatalities in northeastern Tanzania have dropped from around 50 each year to nearly zero. Similar programs have been just as effective in other parts of the world, with cases in North and South America dropping to less than 20 last year.

While not a perfect system, Lankester’s idea has serious merit. The vast majority of rabies cases come from rabid dogs, and just a small percentage are caused by squirrels or bats that have contracted the disease. As was mentioned in a previous post, vaccinating humans against the disease isn’t the most feasible or cost effective option, but treating dogs directly may well be.

The average vaccination for a canine costs about $3, while rabies treatment in humans can cost as much as $50 per case in regions like Southeast Asia. Ultimately, funding will determine how well this program works. With limited funds, it will be very difficult to hit the 70% benchmark in some areas, but the World Health Organization goal of eliminating rabies in Africa and Asia by 2020 might help get some additional funds to this project.

Even a slight reduction in cases will have a significant impact, as nearly 70,000 cases of the virus occur each year.

What do you think the best way to combat rabies is? Tell us in a comment to this post!

Happy Halloween! Nearly all of us are familiar with Halloween and the celebrations that come with this holiday. Throughout much of North America, children will go door to door hoping for tasty treats, and, in many other parts of the world, celebrations are very similar. However, in some cases, local traditions are extremely different from those of the US and Canada. Here are four different events throughout the world that all happen in the fall and all celebrate the dead: Allhallowtide, Día de los Muertos, Pitru Paksha, and Obon. After reading about these fascinating traditions, we bet you you are going to want to plan your next trip abroad during the end of October!

Allhallowtide

Allhallowtide is the triduum (three day period) that encompasses Hallowe’en, Hallowmas (All Saints’ Day) and All Souls Day. It is believed that the date of All Saints’ Day was established by Pope Gregory III around the year 740.

Hallowe’en goes by many names: Halloween (most commonly), All Hallow’s Eve, and a few others, but, while the name has changed, traditions have been more or less the same for many years.

All Saints’ Day (originally known as Hallowmas) takes place on November 1, and it is a holy day to honor saints and martyrs, both known and unknown. For many Christian sects, especially Catholics, it is a day to attend church and honor those who have passed.

All Souls’ Day falls on November 2, and it is a day to honor all faithful Christians.

Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Latin American holiday observed mainly in Mexico. Much like All Saints’ Day, the holiday focuses on remembering the dead, but, instead of religious figures, it has a distinct focus on close family and friends who have passed. Building private altars called ofrendas, bringing gifts like candy skulls or marigolds to graves, and leaving possessions for the dead are all common practices. It is a very colorful and festive holiday, making it similar in this regard to Asia’s Diwali.

The practices of remembrance have spread throughout Latin America, and there are a variety of variations on Dia de los Muertos in Brazil, Haiti, Bolivia, Ecuador, and even parts of the United States.

Obon

Held from mid-July through the end of August, depending on the region, Obon is a Japanese Buddhist festival that honors the spirit of one’s ancestors. It lasts for three days and features a variety of traditions and activities. Two of the most notable are the Bon Odori and Toro Nagashi.

The Bon Odori, or Bon Dance, is a traditional folk dance meant to welcome the spirits of the dead. Each region of Japan has its own version of the Bon Odori. Often, the dance will feature an important aspect of the area’s history.

Toro Nagashi is a ceremony in which paper lanterns are floated either down river or into a body of water. The ceremony represents the traditional belief that humans came from water and so will eventually return to it. Unlike many other ceremonies associated with holidays and the dead, Toro Nagashi will take place at different times throughout the year, generally to mark specific tragic events like the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the 2011 Tsunami.

Pitru Paksha

Literally translated as “fortnight of the ancestors,” Pitru Paksha is a 16-day holiday during which Hindus celebrate their ancestors. It generally takes place between September and October, but, like Obon, it can vary by region within India and Southeast Asia. The most important ceremony of Pitru Paksha is the Shraddha, a ritual that helps ensure that the soul of an ancestor goes to heaven.

The Shraddha is performed on a specific date during the Pitru Paksha, usually when the ancestor or parent died. There are exceptions for this based on whether someone died in a particular manner or had achieved a certain status while still alive. The ceremony is generally carried out by the eldest son who takes a purifying bath before starting the ceremony. The Shraddha then involves offering food to the ancestors, and it is a very sacred rite. The offering is considered accepted if a crow, a symbol of Yama or the spirit of the ancestors, arrives and eats the food.

We’d love to hear about your Halloween and ancestral traditions as well, or if you celebrate one of the traditions we have listed above. Have you ever traveled overseas for a Halloween event? Comment below and tell us what you do!

Every day, news organizations throughout the world report on rabies and rabies exposure. It is one of the more common diseases that affects both humans and animals. News coverage has led many individuals to wonder whether they or their children need to be vaccinated for the disease. Let’s address those questions here.

Normally, preventative vaccination is recommended as one of the best methods to prevent a disease. Flu, measles, meningitis; these are common vaccinations that virtually everyone receives. But, there are some vaccines, like the rabies vaccination, that prevent diseases that are so uncommon that they become less necessary, at least across the board.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “People at high risk of exposure to rabies, such as veterinarians, animal handlers, rabies laboratory workers, spelunkers, and rabies biologics production workers should be offered rabies vaccine,” as well as international travelers who are likely to come in contact with animals in regions where the disease is widespread.

The average person in a developed nation will most likely never be exposed to rabies in a way that would require preventative vaccination. In 2012, the CDC reported that there was only one documented case of rabies in a human, and 93% of reported animal cases occurred in wild, not domesticated, animals. Unless you are traveling to a region where rabies is common, it is entirely possible that you will never see it.

The CDC wisely notes that staying away from wild animals is the best way to avoid exposure to rabies. However, if you are bitten by a wild animal, always seek immediate medical help, and your medical professional can decide whether you need to be given the vaccine (which is effective pre- and post-exposure).

For more information on rabies and where you can be vaccinated, feel free to contact a Passport Health vaccination specialist.