While both chickenpox and shingles come from the same varicella zoster virus, they are two very different illnesses. One tends to affect children more, while shingles affects older adults.

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When most people hear that a disease is eradicated or eliminated, they often think these two terms mean the same thing. While both terms do have a similar meaning, those who work in public health know that there is a difference in meaning.

So, what is the difference between eradication and elimination? And when is a disease considered one of the two terms?

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The Civil War lasted from 1861-1865, and while artillery and combat, hunger and more certainly held a firm grasp on mortality within the war, there was one army, dubbed “The Third Army” by historian Jeffrey S. Sartin. It was the army of infectious diseases that by far killed the most soldiers, families, emancipated slaves, children, and more – over a million people were stuck in the middle of these disease hot-spots during the war.

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It was announced earlier this year that the FDA authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11. While many parents are ushering their children to their local pediatricians, pharmacies and clinics to receive the vaccine, other parents still remain on the fence about giving the vaccine to their children. This could be due to a number of reasons, medical issues, beliefs, and more.

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Pneumonia is an illness where either one or both of the tissue of the lungs swell, and the air sacs within the lungs begin to fill with mucus. It is most commonly caused by bacteria and viruses. In other cases, it can be caused by fungi or even an inhaled particle of food, in some rare cases. That doesn’t make them all contagious, though. Here is a breakdown of what pneumonia is, and whether or not it is contagious.

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