Shot of Prevention RSS Feed

03/20/2012
Heritage Night Helps Children Recognize their Role as Global Citizens
Each year, our local elementary school organizes a Heritage Night to celebrate the global diversity that exists within our school community.  This special event encourages both students and their parents to share their cultural cuisine, traditional dress and honored customs with one another in an engaging and interactive way. The first year my family and [...]
03/16/2012
Bill Addressing VT Philosophical Exemptions is Halfway There
We covered this before and will no doubt cover it again. The use of philosophical vaccine exemptions available in many states allow children to attend public schools without the state mandated vaccinations.  In some states, such as Vermont, there is concern about the growing use of these exemptions and how an increased number of unvaccinated children may threaten the health of other students.  There are [...]
03/13/2012
Should Doctors Refuse Patients Who Refuse?
Week after week, I read about doctors who are refusing patients who refuse vaccines.  It’s an ongoing debate that has drawn a great deal of commendation and criticism. On the one hand, doctors are admired for taking a strong stand in support of timely immunizations.  They typically make these policy decisions based on a number of different reasons. They understand that there is no scientific reason [...]
03/08/2012
Lara’s Story Part 2: Vaccines and Autism
Today’s post is a continuation of Lara’s Story: Growing Up Anti-Vaccine.  Despite being raised in an anti-vaccine household, Lara Lohne looked to science to determine whether she should vaccinate her own children.  After much consideration, Lara weighed the risks and benefits and proceeded to vaccinate with her children with confidence that she was making the best [...]
03/06/2012
Lara’s Story: Growing Up Anti-Vaccine
Lara Lohne grew up in an anti-vaccine household.  Although her father was fully vaccinated, the decision for Lara and her siblings not to be vaccinated rested primarily with her mother.  Several of her extended family members happened to be chiropractors, including her grandfather and two uncles, and Lara believes that they were a big influence on [...]
03/02/2012
There’s Value in Vaccines, Even When Not 100% Effective
Does the fact that vaccines are not 100% effective mean that they have no value in preventing disease? Certainly not. When we are vaccinated, we expect that the shot we receive will prevent us from acquiring certain diseases. After all, vaccinations are injections intended to stimulate the immune system so that it is able to recognize invading bacteria and viruses and produce [...]
02/27/2012
Why Hepatitis B Vaccine is Not a Lifestyle Vaccine
This weekend, a colleague brought something to my attention that I’ve been thinking about all weekend.  It was a tweet that read as follows: VaxCalc:  HPV (Gardisil) and Hep-B are lifestyle #vaccines; should govt mandate lifestyle choices?  #freedom #vaxfax As I was thinking about this statement and conjuring up a response, I came across Dr. Natasha Burgert’s recent [...]
02/24/2012
How the Doctor/Parent Relationship Can Impact Immunization Decisions
Last year at this time my ten-year old daughter was in and out of the doctor’s office, ER and then finally admitted to the hospital as we struggled to diagnose and treat what proved to be a dangerous health issue. During the parade of doctors, interns, nurses and technicians that we encountered along the way, [...]
02/22/2012
Where Does Your State Stand on School Immunization Exemptions?
States all across the country are becoming battle grounds for vaccine exemption laws.  As some grow concerned about the ease in which people can obtain immunization exemptions, they are calling for the tightening of philosophical exemptions that currently allow unvaccinated children to attend public school.  In the past few weeks, we’ve seen vaccine related legislation [...]
02/17/2012
Protect Vermont’s School Children from Vaccine Preventable Diseases
Calling All Vermont Families!! – A bill has been introduced in your Legislature that will remove the clause that allows parents to casually check off “philosophical exemptions” as a reason for waiving school vaccination requirements for children in public schools. If you are from the state of Vermont, we urge you to write to your [...]
02/16/2012
Life is Like a Box of Chocolates…
“You never know what you’re going to get.” I believe this famous statement from Forest Gump is so frequently recited because it speaks the truth.  We all have unknowns in our lives.  No matter how much we try to control them. Today, as I sit at my computer, next to an enormous heart-shaped box of chocolates, I can’t help but think [...]
02/14/2012
Every Child By Two Thanks You for Sharing the Love
It’s Valentine’s Day and we would like to treat our friends to a little riddle. What do you get when you cross The Black Eyed Peas with vaccine advocacy?  Well, you get an entertaining way for us to say, “Thank You!” While we can’t rap like The Black Eyed Peas, we’re pretty good at feeling the love….YOUR LOVE!  Both [...]
02/13/2012
Vaccines That Help Heal
Science continues to fascinate me!  Personally, I have been grateful for modern medicine many times throughout my own life.  I have seen a premature baby, who arrived weighing  just a few pounds, grow into a thriving child.  I have seen courageous men return from war as amputees, who go onto run marathons.  I have had family members live long lives after having triple bypass [...]
02/10/2012
Friday Flu Shot: Recommendations For Health Care Workers
Three times a year the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC), which is an advisory group to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), meets to discuss vaccine related topics.  This week the Committee met and discussed a number of issues, including the Healthy People 2020 goal to reach 90% influenza vaccination rates among [...]
02/09/2012
The Health of One Small Child In the Hands of One Big World
Day after day I read articles from parents speaking out in support of vaccines.  Like myself, these parents understand that fear and misinformation about immunizations can spread as quickly as a contagious disease.  They offer their personal perspective for the same reasons I continue to contribute to this blog.  They are not trying to scare you about death and [...]
02/08/2012
A Family Struggles to Understand Seizures Following Vaccination
It’s understandable that parents can be concerned about adverse reactions to vaccines.  Although they are rare, we know they exist.  However, from a medical standpoint, it’s also important that parents realize that just because a medical condition surfaces in the hours, days or weeks following a vaccination, doesn’t necessarily suggest that the event has been a [...]
02/06/2012
The Super Bowl and the CDC on What Makes A Champion
My husband and I both grew up as fans of the NY Giants.  Over the years, as we’ve moved from state to state, we’ve discovered that there are a lot of people out there that just love to hate New York teams. Despite the criticism and abuse we’ve received, we’ve always remained loyal to our team.  [...]
02/02/2012
What’s New With the 2012 Immunization Schedule
It’s important for doctors, nurses, health care professionals and parents to keep informed about changes to the recommended immunization schedule.    Today’s report from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) details the changes to the 2012 schedule as suggested by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).  Some of the more significant changes concern the following: Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular [...]
02/01/2012
Help Give A Child A Healthy Shot At Life
As I was preparing to leave for a brief business trip on Sunday evening I heard these words: “God comes to us disguised as our life.” Little did I know that over the next two days I would come to a fuller understanding of what these words mean to me in regards to my life [...]
01/27/2012
Choosing Vaccination For Your Child Is An Informed Decision
When it comes to issues regarding disease prevention, our choices impact our children now and throughout their adult life.  Whether we choose to vaccinate our children or not, or delay certain vaccines or not, we are making decisions that have consequences. A child who falls ill with a vaccine preventable disease may end up just [...]
  • 1
  • 2
  • next ›
  • last »