Travel Tips For Staying Healthy While Away
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(ARA) - Part of the excitement of travel is the thrill of the unexpected, never quite knowing what will happen. While most of the time that's a good thing, every now and then, surprises can be less than enjoyable, especially if it involves getting sick or hurt while away from home.
All it takes is a little foresight and effective planning to ensure that your trip - wherever you're headed - is safe, fun and memorable in all the right ways. Below are some essential tips for staying healthy while traveling away from home.
Don't forgo first aid
You might think it's a waste of space in your already tight suitcase, but a small first aid or medical kit is always a smart idea. You'll want to stock it appropriately for wherever you're headed, but some good general items to have on hand are bandages, gauze, disinfectant, pain relievers, tweezers, allergy pills, antibiotic cream, sunscreen/aloe and medicine for stomach upset.
Protect against problems
Whether you are traveling 50 or 5,000 miles from home, there is always a possibility that you'll get sick or be involved in an accident. Purchasing a membership from a travel and medical emergency assistance company like On Call International before you leave will help eliminate your worries. Travelers can purchase a single-time trip or annual membership which include medical and travel assistance services like a 24-hour nurse helpline, emergency medical transportation, 24/7 emergency travel arrangements, worldwide legal assistance and more.
Watch what you eat
While it's particularly true when you're traveling abroad, being careful about what you eat and drink is often applicable on trips within the United States as well. One common culprit is buffet food. While a vast array of edibles laid beautifully out for your indulgence seems inviting, it is notoriously difficult to keep foods at their proper temperatures on a buffet line. Make sure that the hot foods are hot, and the cold foods are cold. If you're traveling to a country where the water supply is not potable, make it a rule to only eat foods that have been peeled or thoroughly cooked - skip the salads and go for the sautees.
Don't fear the needle
When you're traveling to destinations with endemic diseases like malaria or yellow fever, make sure that you do your research and make an appointment with a travel health clinic. Some shots only need to be updated after quite a few years (like tetanus, with boosters recommended for adults every 10 years), but it's always a good idea to face your fears and take the jabs. If you're staying within the country, flu vaccinations should be a priority, since disease spreads easily in busy airports and on airplanes.
By planning ahead and making smart decisions, your travel plans are even more likely to go off without a hitch. When your trip is free of health-related hassles, you can be sure it'll be one to remember.
Adults Need Vaccinations To Help Stay Healthy And In The Game
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(ARA) - When it comes to adult health and wellness, working out and eating well are just part of the picture. Being up to date on recommended vaccines is also important. Unfortunately, many American adults are not up to date on their vaccinations.
"As an infectious disease specialist, it's alarming to me that only a small percentage of adults have actually received the recommended vaccines," said Dr. Brad Moore, Fellow of the American College of Physicians and associate professor of medicine and of health policy at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates. "Both patients and physicians should discuss the vaccinations that they need to help reduce their risk of catching vaccine-preventable diseases."
Health experts recommend several vaccines for adults to help prevent serious diseases, including whooping cough and the flu. Although adults may have been immunized against some diseases as kids, protection provided by some vaccines can wear off over time, leaving adults and those around them at risk. In addition, adults may need to catch up on vaccinations that they missed or that were not available when they were younger.
To help prevent adults from being sidelined by vaccine-preventable diseases, Dr. Moore and soccer champion Mia Hamm are working together to remind adults about the importance of adult vaccinations in a well-rounded plan for healthy living.
"Being up-to-date on vaccinations is an important defensive tool that can help protect yourself and your family against serious diseases," said Mia Hamm, who is also the mother of three-year-old twins. "Be sure to ask about the shots you need during check-ups or when getting your flu shot this year."
Find out which vaccines are recommended for adults. Be sure to ask your healthcare provider about the vaccines on this checklist. For tips on staying well and other information on adult vaccinations, visit www.GiveYourHealthAShot.com.
Vaccines recommended for adults
* Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
* Influenza (flu)
* Hepatitis A
* Hepatitis B
* Human papillomavirus (HPV)
* Varicella (chickenpox)
* Zoster (shingles)
* MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
* Meningococcal
* Pneumococcal
Some vaccines are recommended for all adults while others may be needed based on age, gender or other risk factors. Talk to your healthcare professional about the vaccines that are right for you.
Mia Hamm and Dr. Brad Moore were compensated by GlaxoSmithKline for their participation in this educational program.
Air Travelers Possibly Exposed To Measles
New Mexico Woman Travels With Measles
WASHINGTON -- Public health officials are warning travelers and workers present at four U.S. airports on two recent days that they may have been exposed to measles from a traveler arriving from London.
Authorities said Saturday that a New Mexico woman later confirmed to have measles arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport late in the afternoon of Feb. 20. Two days later, the measles-infected traveler departed from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport near Baltimore on an evening flight to Denver, Colo., and then on to Albuquerque, N.M.
The traveler became sick and was subsequently diagnosed with measles in New Mexico, said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said Saturday night that authorities in those states are trying to notify travelers who sat close to the infected passenger on the flights.
The New Mexico Department of Health's scientific laboratory division didn't identify the traveler by name but said she was a 27-year-old Santa Fe, N.M., woman who had not been immunized against measles.
"The appropriate steps are being taken to reach out to those passengers on the plane that were in close enough proximity," Skinner said of those seated five rows in front or behind the infected passenger.
Although most Americans have been vaccinated for measles or are immune because they've had the disease, public health officials are concerned about those not immunized, including babies. Pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are also more at risk.
Authorities say people who were at the airports at the same time as the infected traveler and develop a fever or other symptoms should contact their doctors.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, said the potential exposure of so many travelers in airport terminals is a cause for concern.
He said measles is "highly communicable" and can be associated with complications leading to death. "We don't want measles to be imported back into the U.S. once it gets a foothold," Schaffner told The Associated Press.
Although vaccinations have reduced measles cases in the U.S. to fewer than 150 annually since 1997, it remains a common disease worldwide with an estimated 10 million cases and 164,000 deaths globally each year, according to the CDC. That's why the center recommends that U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad remain up to date on immunizations.
The CDC says on its website that despite vaccinations in the U.S., health officials still see sporadic cases when visitors from other countries or Americans traveling abroad become infected and spread measles to those not vaccinated or unprotected against the virus.
A 2008 CDC report said the risk for measles transmission by air travel in the United States "is considered low because of high U.S. population immunity."
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus, according to the CDC's web site. It typically produces fever, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes and a body rash. The virus, which is spread by sneezing and coughing, can stay in the air for two hours.
Infection can lead to an ear infection or pneumonia in children, and in rare cases, death. Children in the U.S. generally are vaccinated starting at one year of age, and it is recommended earlier if they're being taken abroad.
People who are considered immune include those born in the United States before 1957, who previously had measles or who have had two measles vaccine shots.
Last week, Boston public health officials sought to contain a possible measles outbreak after an employee of the French consulate came down with the infectious disease earlier this month.
21,000 Had Whooping Cough Last Year, CDC Says
It's Highest Number Since 2005, Among Worst In More Than 50 Years
MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer
Posted: 9:59 am PST February 23, 2011
Updated: 12:02 pm PST February 23, 2011
ATLANTA -- More than 21,000 people got whooping cough last year, many of them children and teens. That's the highest number since 2005 and among the worst years in more than half a century, U.S. health officials said Wednesday.
They are puzzled by the sharp rise in cases. The vaccine against whooping cough is highly effective in children, and vaccination rates for kids are good.
The disease is very contagious and in rare cases can be fatal, especially for babies too young to be vaccinated. Whooping cough starts like a cold but leads to severe coughing that can last for weeks.
California appeared to be the hardest-hit state last year, with state health officials reporting more than 8,300 cases, including the deaths of 10 babies.
Nationally, there were at least 26 deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The national case count is preliminary and may wind up being higher. The numbers were reported Wednesday at a vaccine advisory committee meeting.
Health officials believe contagious adolescents are a worrisome threat to vulnerable infants. About 95 percent of children have had at least three shots against whooping cough. But because a whooping cough vaccine for adolescents and adults was not licensed until 2005, vaccination rates for those groups are much lower. One study estimated that only 6 percent of adults are fully immunized.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the whooping cough vaccine for all adults who are around infants. On Wednesday, the committee voted to slightly alter vaccination guidance to make it clear that all nurses and other health care workers should get the whooping cough vaccine.
With Whooping Cough On The Rise, Help Keep Your Child Healthy And In School
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(ARA) - Recently, several states including California, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Michigan have reported a rise in whooping cough cases. California health officials have declared whooping cough an epidemic in the state, and several infants have died.
Families with school-aged children should make sure their kids are up to date on recommended shots. Children who are not up to date are at risk of catching and spreading serious diseases, including whooping cough.
Whooping cough is highly contagious and spreads easily in places like schools where people are in close contact. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a respiratory infection that usually starts like a cold and then turns into a bad cough over time. Whooping cough may lead to pneumonia or rib fracture and other complications in adolescents and adults. The cough can last three months and lead to hospitalization and missed work or school days.
School nurse Deb Robarge, from the National Association of School Nurses, has seen whooping cough first-hand. Her own son developed the disease as a college student, even though he had been vaccinated as a child.
"It's terrible to see your child suffer from a disease that could have been prevented," says Robarge. "It's so important to make sure your children are up to date on their vaccines to help keep them healthy for school."
The best way to help prevent whooping cough is to get vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Protection from the childhood whooping cough vaccine starts to wear off after approximately five to 10 years, leaving preteens, adolescents and adults at risk of catching and spreading the disease. As long as certain criteria are met, the CDC recommends that adolescents aged 11 to 18 years old receive one dose of the Tdap vaccine-a booster vaccine which helps protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).
Many states have adopted Tdap vaccination requirements for school entry. Starting this year, states including Indiana, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee require that students of a certain age receive the Tdap vaccine.
Others states with Tdap vaccination requirements include: Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas and New York.
Robarge and the National Association of School Nurses offer some tips for parents to help keep children healthy and in school:
* Talk to your health care provider to ensure your preteen or teen is up to date on recommended vaccines for their age group and caught up on any missed vaccinations
* Get vaccinated, too. Not being up to date on vaccinations can put adults and their families at risk of catching and spreading serious diseases such as whooping cough
* Remember that your school nurse is a great resource for information on vaccination and other health care topics
* Encourage your child to wash his or her hands often and cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
* Avoid close contact with people who are sick
GlaxoSmithKline has provided funding, editorial and other assistance to the National Association of School Nurses for this campaign.
Parents Lose High Court Appeal In Vaccine Case
American Academy Of Pediatrics Praises Decision
MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press
Posted: 7:23 am PST February 22, 2011
Updated: 1:04 pm PST February 22, 2011
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court closed the courthouse door Tuesday to parents who want to sue drug makers over claims that their children developed autism and other serious health problems from vaccines.
The ruling was a stinging defeat for families dissatisfied with how they fared before a special no-fault vaccine court.
The court voted 6-2 against the parents of a child who sued the drug maker Wyeth in Pennsylvania state court for the health problems they say their daughter, now 19, suffered from a vaccine she received in infancy.
Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the court, said Congress set up a special vaccine court in 1986 to handle such claims as a way to provide compensation to injured children without driving drug manufacturers from the vaccine market. The idea, he said, was to create a system that spares the drug companies the costs of defending against parents' lawsuits.
Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. Nothing in the 1986 law "remotely suggests that Congress intended such a result," Sotomayor wrote, taking issue with Scalia.
Scalia's opinion was the latest legal setback for parents who felt they got too little from the vaccine court or failed to collect at all.
Such was the case for Robalee and Russell Bruesewitz of Pittsburgh, who filed their lawsuit after the vaccine court rejected their claims for compensation. According to the lawsuit, their daughter, Hannah, was a healthy infant until she received the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine in April 1992. The vaccine was made by Wyeth, now owned by Pfizer, Inc.
Within hours of getting the DPT shot, the third in a series of five, the baby suffered a series of debilitating seizures. Hannah continues to suffer from residual seizure disorder, the lawsuit said.
A federal trial judge and the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Wyeth. Indeed, state and federal appeals courts have almost always sided with the vaccine manufacturer in preventing the lawsuits from going forward.
Scalia confirmed that outcome Tuesday. He said that when a vaccine is properly prepared and is accompanied by proper directions and warnings, lawsuits over its side effects are not allowed under the 1986 law.
"Vaccine manufacturers fund from their sales an informal, efficient compensation program for vaccine injuries," Scalia said. "In exchange they avoid costly tort litigation and the occasional disproportionate jury verdict."
The American Academy of Pediatrics, representing more than 60,000 doctors, praised the decision. "Childhood vaccines are among the greatest medical breakthroughs of the last century," said Dr. Marion Burton, the group's president. "Today's Supreme Court decision protects children by strengthening our national immunization system and ensuring that vaccines will continue to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in this country."
Pfizer also applauded the decision. "We have great sympathy for the Bruesewitzes," Pfizer Executive Vice President and General Counsel Amy Schulman said, "We recognize, however, that the Vaccine Act provides for full consideration of the liability issues through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Here the Vaccine Court concluded that the petitioners failed to prove their child's condition was caused by vaccination."
But David Frederick, who represented the Bruesewitz family at the Supreme Court, said, "I'm disappointed for the families of victims of defectively designed vaccines, who now have no remedy at law for their injuries."
The vaccine court has paid out more than $1.9 billion to more than 2,500 people who claimed a connection between a vaccine and serious health problems.
The vaccine court is part of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, which generally has jurisdiction over individuals' claims against the federal government. Under the 1986 law, the court appoints lawyers to serve four-year terms as special masters, and they hear claims of vaccine-related injuries and decide whether parents should be compensated. Those decisions can be appealed to the Court of Federal Claims and then the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.
The drug companies worried that they would face a flood of lawsuits over the side effects of vaccines in the event of an unfavorable Supreme Court decision. They were especially concerned about claims from families of autistic children who say the vaccines, or mercury-based thimerosal that once was used to preserve them, are linked to autism. Numerous studies have addressed vaccines and autism and found no link, including with the preservative.
Sotomayor said the drug companies' worry "seems wholly speculative." She said that parents already face "substantial hurdles" in winning compensation.
Sotomayor instead pointed to arguments made by Frederick, the family's lawyer, when the Supreme Court heard the case in October. He said that Congress did not explicitly rule out the kind of lawsuit the Bruesewitz family filed against Wyeth, asserting that the company was slow to move ahead with a safer vaccine because it would not be as profitable. Frederick said the threat of lawsuits would motivate drug companies to introduce safer vaccines more quickly.
Justice Elena Kagan took no part in the case because she had worked on it while serving in the Justice Department.The case is Bruesewitz v. Wyeth, 09-152.
Celebrity Soccer Mom Picks Flu Vaccination As A Priority
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(ARA) - Brandi Chastain is not only a soccer legend, she's also a mom. She knows what it's like during back-to-school season. New school schedules, sporting events and daily homework don't stop her from making flu vaccination a priority each year.
For the second year in a row, Chastain has teamed-up with MedImmune, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) on a national health campaign to raise awareness about the importance of flu vaccination. This year's theme, "When Will You Pick?" encourages families to get an annual flu vaccination as soon as it is available - before the flu strikes - with the important message: "This Flu Season, Don't Wait to Vaccinate!"
"My top priority is keeping myself and my family healthy and active all season," Chastain says when asked why she joined the campaign. "As moms, we try to stay healthy by exercising, eating right and getting plenty of rest, but we also need to help defend and protect ourselves each year by getting a flu vaccine as soon as it's available."
This year, for the first time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends every eligible American age 6 months and older get a flu vaccine. Importantly, the CDC advises that flu vaccination begin as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the flu season, which can extend through the winter and beyond.
"Along with all the things that parents know are important for helping keep their kids healthy - like washing hands and getting enough sleep - flu vaccination should be at the top of the list," says Dr. Anat Feingold, pediatrician, influenza expert and mother of three. "Vaccination is the best defense we have against influenza and it's something families should make a priority every year."
According to the CDC, as many as 60 million Americans get the flu each year and resulting complications can be significant.
Also, the flu can be especially serious for children. Each year, an average of 20,000 children younger than 5 will be hospitalized as a result of flu complications and kids between the ages of 2 and 17 are twice as likely to get the flu as adults.
There are two types of flu vaccine: the shot and the nasal spray. Families should talk to their health care provider about which vaccine option is right for them.
The Truth About The Flu: It's More Serious Than You Think
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(ARA) - Martin McGowan was a healthy, athletic 15-year-old with a passion for baseball. After his high school baseball tryouts in early February 2005, Martin was exhausted and said his legs hurt from running. He went to bed, and at 2:30 a.m. that morning, Martin's mother awoke to hear her son vomiting in the bathroom. He had a fever of 102 degrees.
Martin's symptoms progressed throughout the morning, with the pain in his legs worsening. His mother called the doctor who recommended either an appointment for later that afternoon or to take Martin to the emergency room. Martin said he needed to go to the emergency room.
Once at the hospital, Martin's lips were so white the ER doctor administered intravenous fluids. Martin tested positive for influenza. As a result of the influenza disease attacking his muscles, he developed compartment syndrome, which limited his blood circulation in his legs and caused severe pain.
The doctors explained to Martin's mother that he would need an operation as soon as possible. If the blood flowing to Martin's legs ceased for an extended period of time, they might have to amputate his legs.
During the surgery, Martin's heart stopped beating. Shortly after, Martin died of complications from influenza, merely 24 hours after his first symptoms appeared. Martin had not been vaccinated against the flu.
After Martin's death, his mother, Diane McGowan, joined Families Fighting Flu, the only non-profit organization made up of families who have experienced first-hand the death of a child due to the flu or have had a child experience severe medical complications from the flu.
The flu is a serious disease that spreads very easily. It can cause mild to severe illness, and can lead to death - even among healthy, older children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annual vaccination is the single best way to prevent influenza in people of all ages.
"We should have gotten Martin vaccinated," said McGowan. "Now, I can only hope that his story will be an encouragement for other families to get their children vaccinated every year."
During the 2009-2010 flu season, the CDC estimated that 274,000 people were hospitalized in the U.S. from influenza - more than 85,000 of them were children. Tragically, an estimated 1,200 children under age 17 died from the flu last season.
"In developed countries, influenza kills more people than any other vaccine-preventable disease," said Jon Abrahamson, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Wake Forest University Medical School in Winston-Salem, N.C., and a medical advisor for Families Fighting Flu.
The CDC now recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against the flu, creating the first universal flu vaccination recommendation. For children younger than 6 months, it is important for family and caregivers around them to get vaccinated.
"It's not just children who need to get vaccinated, it's the entire family," said Laura Scott, executive director of Families Fighting Flu. "A flu vaccine reduces your risk of illness, hospitalization, or even death and can prevent you from spreading the virus to your loved ones."
The flu virus tends to spread from October to May, with the most cases occurring in January or February. However, vaccination can be given at any time during the flu season. Even getting a vaccination later in the season (December through March) can still protect you from influenza.
