As we commemorate George Washington’s birthday today, it is interesting to note a little known fact about the first president: George Washington was one of the first political leaders to recognize the positive impact vaccines have.

A new book titled Gentleman Scientists and Revolutionaries: The Founding Fathers in the Age of Enlightenment by Tom Shachtman explains how George Washington pushed for his soldiers and the population at large to be vaccinated against smallpox during the Revolutionary War. At the time, however, this advocacy represented was a very radical position. There was no traditional vaccine at the time. Instead, a technique called variolation was used to promote disease immunity.

The practice of variolation called for the pus from an infected individual being inserted under the skin of an uninfected person. This would give the receiver a very mild case of the disease and, after surviving the mild case of the disease, the person would then be immune. It was a procedure that many founding fathers had gone through themselves, including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson as well as Martha Washington.

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Most people have an understandable fear of contracting rabies. This doesn’t mean all the ideas and anxiety toward rabies is founded. In fact, there are many misconceptions about what the virus actually is.

Rabies is a virus that’s transmitted from animals to humans through the the genus Lyssavirus, according to the World Health Organization.

There is a myth that rabies is usually transferred through rodents, but according to the WHO, 95 percent of deaths transfer via dogs.

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An illness that was first discovered around 430 BC, typhoid has harmed and killed millions of people throughout history. The foodborne ailment claimed the lives of one-third of the Athenian population; many settlers in the English colony at Jamestown, VA; over six-thousand New World settlers; and countless soldiers in multiple wars. But, typhoid is just one of many foodborne killers. Indeed, hepatitis A also presents a significant threat. Also known as heptovirus A, this virus infects more than 1.4 million people each year.

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Influenza, Ebola, malaria, measles; all of these infections have unique and important names.  But, where do they come from? To paraphrase the Bard, “What’s in a name? / that which we call the flu / By any other name would still stink.”

When it comes to viruses, a name can be extremely important. Many are named for what they do.  Chickenpox is believed to have been named for either its root giccan, a Latin word meaning to itch which could be confused with chicken.  However, many scholars believe it derives its name from the pox marks themselves, considering that the word used for the disease in many Arab countries is hummus and in Spain, garbanzo, both of which are associated with chickpeas.
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Flu season is upon us again, and it is time to protect your health and the health of those you love. You know a seasonal flu shot is the best means of preventing the flu each flu season, but for senior populations this shot may not provide adequate protection. Therefore, if you or someone you love is over 65 years old, consider the high dose flu shot this year.

The high dose vaccine is the only flu shot specifically formulated for people over 65. Indeed, studies have shown that the traditional, seasonal flu shot does not prevent the flu as well in senior populations as it does in younger people. As the body ages, the immune system gets weaker. This means the body’s ability to bounce back from disease decreases with age as well. A weakened immune system can have very serious complications during flu season.
Seniors are more likely than their younger counterparts to have existing health problems, and the flu is more likely to cause serious complications, hospitalization, or even death when someone is already unwell.

Thousands of people (between 3,000 to 49,000 in particularly bad years) die from the flu each season in the US alone. Almost 90% of these deaths occur in people over age 65.

For these reasons, it is crucial that seniors take extra care of their health. After consulting with a healthcare professional to determine if this vaccine is appropriate given specific health issues or allergies, seniors should consider the only flu vaccine made specifically for them.

Remember, even a mild case of the flu results in ample unpleasantness: coughing, sore throat, fever, chills, headache and more. However, it is possible to prevent all of these nasty symptoms and more. According the CDC, the best means of preventing the flu each season is with a seasonal flu shot.