Surviving Hib Meningitis: An Interview with My Mother

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By Elizabeth Abbott

Just over 30 years ago, at 15 months of age, I was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis as a result of Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) infection. The vaccine that protects against Hib had not yet been introduced. At that time, Hib was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis among children under five years of age in the U.S. Each year, about 20,000 children under five years got severe Hib disease, and about 1,000 died. As many as 1 out of 5 children survivors of Hib meningitis end up with brain damage or become deaf.

Since vaccine introduction in the late 1980s, the number of cases of invasive Hib disease has decreased by more than 99 percent. By 2012, less than 50 U.S. cases of Hib disease occurred each year in children under five, and most cases we see today are the result of parents choosing not to vaccinate. While some parents may believe their child is not at risk of rare Hib infection, the bacteria still exists and can cause severe harm through the diseases it causes.

In honor of World Meningitis Day (April 24) and National Infant Immunization Week (April 18-25), I sat down with my beautiful mother to remember the “traumatic experience” she faced as her child overcame this life-threatening illness. [Read more…]

Patiently Waiting for MMR Vaccine

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In honor of National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 18-25, 2015, our friend and guest teammate shares why vaccines are important for protecting her infant and keeping her family of five healthy.

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My husband keeps asking me, “When does BabyGirl get her shots?”

“At six months,” I remind him.

“Measles?” he’ll ask again.

“Not until she’s at least a year old.”

“So we’re waiting on pins and needles for six more months?” he’ll ask. [Read more…]

Measles Redux, The Unnecessary Epidemic

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By Edwin J. Asturias, MD

This editorial appeared in The Denver Post Feb. 5.

Though dormant for years, measles reemerged this year with a vengeance. The first cases erupted in Disneyland before spreading outward, involving 14 states and counting. Now there are 102 confirmed cases, making it the largest measles outbreak since 1990.

This growing epidemic is fueling fierce debate over how to balance public health risks against the rights of increasing numbers of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. [Read more…]

Why I’m Thankful for the HPV Vaccine

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By Joseph R. Foster

Joseph R. Foster is a husband, dJoseph and Shelli Fosterad, Air Force officer, college professor, and cancer survivor. He’s been married to his wife Shelli for 21 years, has 16- and 14-year-old sons, has served as an aircraft maintenance officer in the Air Force, and currently teaches Political Science at the United States Air Force Academy. He has been cancer-free for 18 months. Joseph and his family live in Colorado Springs, Colo.

I love Thanksgiving. In fact, I think it’s the best holiday of the year. I love the focus on getting together with family and friends, the football games, the food, and the walk after eating the food…if only to prove to yourself that you can, indeed, still move. Some people go to movies on Thanksgiving. Some watch the parades. My wife’s family often spends Thanksgiving night with the advertisement inserts from the newspaper, devising their Black Friday strategy. Until a few years ago, my Thanksgiving memories were pretty typical, I think, nice and predictable. Then I had an appointment with the ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon at the Air Force Academy hospital in 2012 about that pesky swollen lymph node that wouldn’t “shrink back down.” [Read more…]

Immunology 101 Series: The Science Behind Flu Vaccines…and Why You Need One Every Year

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By Aimee Pugh-Bernard, PhD

In the tenth installment of the Immunology 101 Series, Aimee will explain the science behind the vaccines for influenza.

It’s that time of year again. You guessed it – time to get your annual flu shot! As an immunologist I relish this time of year. The flu shot lets me train my immune system to defend me against the flu virus. I must admit that I call my children’s pediatrician office every year in late August and sign up for the first flu shot clinic available. I make sure that my family will have an immune army built, trained, and ready to defend us long before influenza (aka ‘the flu’) makes it to Denver! I do this because I know that the vaccines for influenza are safe and effective and that illness from the flu is very serious and potentially deadly. As a scientist who has read the literature, I understand that the risk from the flu shot is minimal compared to the danger of becoming sick from the flu.

Most people I encounter who are skeptical about the flu vaccine have the same questions. They often wonder why we need to get a flu shot every year, if the flu shot can actually give you the flu (spoiler alert – no!), and if the flu is even really a serious disease (spoiler alert – yes!).
[Read more…]

The Value of Vaccination: Saved By the Vaccine

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This month marked the launch of a new movement that serves to highlight that which is well-known but seldom stated: vaccination adds value to our lives. The Value of Vaccination (valueofvaccination.org) is calling attention to the benefits that vaccines bring to every community. The initiative features personal stories, videos demonstrating the positive impacts of vaccination, and easy-to-understand guides to the science behind vaccines and the immune system. The goal is to encourage conversation at home, at work, and at school about the value of vaccination. [Read more…]

Immunology 101 Series: Adjuvants, Aluminum, and Gelatin! Oh My! The Scientific Scoop on Vaccine Ingredients

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By Aimee Pugh-Bernard, PhD

Are the ingredients in vaccines necessary and useful? YES!

All of the ingredients within vaccines are vital and play a role in important things like helping the immune system respond, maintaining the longevity of the vaccine itself, and keeping the vaccine safe from contamination.

In the ninth installment of the Immunology 101 Series, Aimee will explain the science behind the ingredients in vaccines. [Read more…]

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