Adult Vaccinations

With the omicron coronavirus variant now detected in the US, Covid-19 booster shots may feel more urgent than ever. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now advises that all Americans over 18 should get an additional dose of one of the approved Covid-19 vaccines, a stronger recommendation than its guidance in recent weeks. And the agency linked its update to the new variant. Many experts also support boosting the entire population; others remain skeptical about whether the US should prioritize additional shots for all healthy adults, given that protection against serious illness and death from two shots appears to be holding up. By and large, experts in both camps say omicron has not changed how they are thinking about booster shots — at least not yet. First, while it's too early to tell how vaccines will hold up against omicron, many experts doubt that a new formula to fight off the variant will be needed. Existing vaccines, plus the overall boost in antibodies ...

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is spread through blood and other bodily fluids and can cause a liver infection. There are two types. Acute HBV lasts for a short amount of time, and people often make a full recovery. In some cases, it can progress to a chronic condition. Chronic HBV can be managed but not cured, and can result in serious complications. It's estimated that around 800,000 people in the United States live with chronic hepatitis B. The hepatitis B vaccine can protect you from contracting the virus that causes hepatitis B infections. HBV vaccines have been safely used since the early 1980s. As of 2020, the World Health Organization estimates that the vaccine for hepatitis B is between 98 and 100 percent effective. Virologists have developed recommendations for vaccinations to protect against hepatitis B. The schedule is based on the type of vaccine you will receive. In children The recommendations for hepatitis B vaccine for children are: First dose: within 24 hours of b...

The growing of a fertilised egg outside of a woman's uterus elsewhere in the belly is known as ectopic pregnancy or extra-uterine pregnancy. The illness can cause significant bleeding. Here is everything you need to know about the condition. Written by Editorial Team | Updated : December 27, 2021 11:33 AM IST Ectopic pregnancy or extra-uterine pregnancy is described as the growth of a fertilized egg outside a woman's uterus elsewhere in the belly. The condition can result in severe bleeding and calls for immediate medical care. In more than 90% of these cases, the egg implants in a fallopian tube and it is called a tubal pregnancy. Symptoms Of Ectopic Pregnancy Signs of an ectopic pregnancy may go unnoticed as it usually occurs in the first few weeks of pregnancy when you might not even be aware of being pregnant. Early signs of the condition include pelvic pain with light vaginal bleeding, weaknes...

By Lora Lavigne, WRAL reporter Chapel Hill, N.C. — On Tuesday, when state leaders will release six days worth of data, we will learn how many people tested positive for COVID-19 in North Carolina in the last week. In the most recent update, which was before Christmas, cases were rising. As cases increase, local pediatricians are sounding the alarm on concerning trends of a rise in COVID-19 infections among children. "We are seeing some changing trends. Our numbers at Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescents have increased significantly just in the last two weeks," said pediatrician Dr. Kathy Merritt. "If you look at our numbers from Jan. 1 until Dec. 8, we've certainly had COVID cases positive over the course of that time, but in the last two weeks we've had an increase of up to probably 10% of cases that we're testing. Prior to that, we were less than 2% to 3%," said Merritt. National data indicates 170,000 American chil...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Rite Aid in Londonderry holds walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic with appointments hard to find    WMUR Manchester

Toxoplasma gondii develops a latent infection in the muscle and central nervous system that acts as a reservoir for acute-stage reactivation in vulnerable patients. Until now little is understood about how these parasites manipulate host cells during latent infection and the impact this has on survival. New research led by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, the University of Melbourne and the Wellcome Center for Anti-Infectives Research shows that Toxoplasma gondii is able to lay dormant and undetected inside neurons and muscle cells by releasing proteins that switch off the cells' ability to alert the immune system. This discovery could pave the way for new drug targets to treat patients suffering from chronic toxoplasmosis infections. Microscopic cysts containing Toxoplasma gondii develop in the tissues of many vertebrates. Here, in mouse brain tissue, thousands of bradyzoites (stained red) are enveloped by a thin parasite cyst wall. Image credit: Jitin...

In this article RAD A Rite Aid store is shown in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 16, 2019.Picture taken October 16, 2019. Mike Blake | Reuters Drugstore chain Rite Aid said Tuesday it plans to shutter at least 63 stores as it reassesses how many locations it needs. The company said the closures were identified as part of an ongoing review and it anticipates it will find additional shops to shut in the next several months. Rite Aid said its goal is to reduce costs, boost profitability and have a "healthy foundation." The company said the 63 closures, which began last month, are expected to boost its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by roughly $25 million. On Tuesday, Rite Aid posted mixed financial results for the fiscal third quarter. Although it earned more than expected on an adjusted basis, its sales for the three months ended Nov. 27 came in lower than analysts projected. The retailer also cut its outlook for sales for the fis...

Your child's experience of needles in their early years may impact how they feel about and react to subsequent vaccinations. So it's important to reduce the chance of a negative experience. But what can parents do to help prepare their child for the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine or other injections? Fear or phobia? Most children are fearful of needles. But for some children, this fear is more serious and can be defined as a needle phobia. Needle phobia is a very scary and distressing response to the presence of or reaction to a needle, for example, to take blood or have an injection. The anxiety and fear are out of proportion to the threat, and people will avoid needles as much as possible. In severe cases, the level of anxiety caused by just the sight of a needle may result in feelings of dizziness, nausea, increased sweatiness, loss of consciousness, and fainting. Almost one in five children (19%) aged 4-6 have a needle phobia, and this decreases to one in n...

The list of symptoms of Covid-19 has grown longer and stranger throughout the pandemic. With so many people now vaccinated, the warning signs of an infection have grown more subtle and vague. That's becoming especially evident as the omicron variant gallops around the world, squeezing through the nooks and crannies in the wall of immunity that's been built over the past two years. An international team of researchers has been tracking signs of infection throughout the pandemic with the Covid Symptom Study using a mobile app where users could self-report their symptoms. Data on the omicron variant is still preliminary, but a group of 171 app users in the United Kingdom, most of whom are vaccinated, recently reported that their top symptoms for omicron were a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat. These were also the top symptoms for people infected with the delta variant. That's a departure from "the classic three" Covid-19 symptoms of feve...

We said it above, but it's really worth emphasizing: These side effects tend to be mild and last a few days at most, according to Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for public health & health policy and professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. But if you're experiencing any worrisome symptoms that don't resolve on their own within a few days, it's a good idea to speak with a physician. Can the flu vaccine make you sick? Let's just clear this up now: "You can't get the flu from the flu vaccine," Dr. Adalja says. Seriously, this is not a thing that is even remotely possible. However, in very rare cases, a flu vaccine can cause issues in people with pre-existing medical circumstances. The flu vaccine is safe for most people, but if you have any allergies, like to egg proteins or any other ingredients that could be in the vaccine, such as gelatin, it's important to speak with your doctor or pha...

A braham Lincoln, who would have celebrated his 209th birthday on Feb. 12, left behind an impressive legacy during his time in office — but many Americans still associate the 16th president, first and foremost, with his towering height. Standing 6'4″, Lincoln is, to this day, the tallest president ever, edging out Lyndon Johnson by a full inch. Height wasn't Lincoln's only distinguishing physical characteristic. While he was in office, a journalist described the president's "long pendulous arms" and "hands of extraordinary dimensions…far exceeded in proportion by his feet," according to the book Abraham Lincoln's DNA . These unique descriptors have led doctors to wonder if Lincoln perhaps had Marfan syndrome, a relatively rare genetic condition that was first identified decades after the politician's death. ...