Friday, July 21, 2017

Everything You Need to Know About the Yellow Fever Vaccine, July 2017

A guide to the vaccines travelers may need to have. 

The Yellow Fever Virus

Yellow fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease caused by the yellow fever virus, affects roughly 200,000 people a year. Though the disease got its start in Africa, outbreaks have occurred as far away as the Yucatan Peninsula and even Philadelphia, where 5,000 people were wiped out during a single epidemic in the 18th century.
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Typically, yellow fever causes, chills, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and — of course — a fever. It's certainly not a pleasant way to spend any part of your trip. While most people recover after 3 or 4 days, some experience a second wave of afflictions, which can bring jaundice (hence the name), abdominal pain and vomiting, and bleeding from the mouth, nose, and eyes. In cases where yellow fever has developed past this point, the risk of death is about 50 percent.
Back in the day, yellow fever was no joke. A single outbreak had the power to annihilate huge groups of people in small areas, though the cause of the illness eluded doctors. It wasn’t until the 1900s that they determined yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes.

The Yellow Fever Vaccine

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no cure for yellow fever. Instead, patients are treated based on their symptoms (described above), and on their recent travel history.
While a vaccine is recommended for any travel to Africa or South America, other important prevention methods include mosquito nets, wearing clothes that cover the entire body, and using a strong insect repellent with DEET.
The yellow fever vaccine was developed by Max Theiler in the United States, and he won the Nobel Prize for this life-saving contribution. Unlike other vaccines, the yellow fever vaccine is a one-time deal: a single dose provides lifetime immunity. (Travelers who frequently visit at-risk areas should get a booster shot ever 10 years.)
The vaccine can be given to infants as young as 9 months, and is recommended for anyone traveling to certain areas in Africa and South America.
As with most vaccines, an amount of time is needed for the vaccine to work its way through your body, and it’s recommended that you schedule the vaccine appointment 10 days prior to traveling.
The yellow fever vaccine is only offered at designated vaccination centers, and can cost between $150 and $350, depending on availability. Certain countries, including Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, even require a proof of vaccination from all travelers when they arrive — and that certificate is obtained from your doctor after being given the shot.

Vaccination rules for Haj pilgrims announced - 2017, Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has issued the vaccination and health requirements for pilgrims applying for Haj visas, according to a Ministry of Health official.
The requirements for this year focus on the likes of the Zika virus, dengue, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), yellow fever, cholera, meningitis, polio and vaccination against seasonal influenza.
Vaccination against meningitis is mandatory for all local and foreign pilgrims. The flu vaccine is not mandatory but it is desirable to take it considering the climate and susceptibility of pilgrims.
The official advised high-risk patients — those with ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and renal problems — to take the flu vaccine, which will help them perform their Haj and Umrah rituals without problems.
In accordance with the International Health Regulations from 2005, travelers arriving from countries at risk of yellow fever transmission must present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. The life-long certificate is valid from 10 days after the vaccination date.
Aircraft, ships and other means of transportation coming from countries affected by yellow fever are requested to submit a certificate indicating that they applied disinsection in accordance with methods recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Regardless of age and vaccination status, proof of receipt of a dose of oral polio vaccine, or inactivated polio vaccine, within the previous 12 months and at least four weeks prior to departure, is required to apply for an entry visa to Saudi Arabia for travelers arriving from countries including Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
The polio vaccine is also required of pilgrims from states no longer affected by the infectious disease, but which remain vulnerable to reinfection. These include Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Guinea, Laos, Madagascar, Myanmar, Niger, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Dominique Legros, a WHO cholera expert, said in Geneva last week that the Kingdom has taken adequate preventive measures to combat communicable diseases during the annual pilgrimage.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent out circulars to all its missions abroad regarding the rules.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Vaccine FAQs India - Hep B dose at birth missed

Query : 
Hepatitis B missed at birth. niw she will be 6 wks what to do?

Answer
START now, and complete 3 doses by 6 months age,
Regards

India vaccination FAQs parents: BCG Pus formed, what to do?

Query : 
pus after bcg. is it normal? how long it will last?

Answe:
Pus after BCG is normal,
It will last for a few days and may happen more than once, generally there is a small scar left by the time the baby is 3 months old,
Talk to your pediatrician if you have more concerns,

Regards