Tag Archives: vaccination

Are The Mumps Making a Comeback?

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Do you remember seeing the pockets of hockey players becoming infected with the long-unheard-of mumps in the news recently? It’s true – according to the CDC, the mumps is making a vehement comeback, reaching a 10-year high. It is highly contagious and can spread through saliva or respiratory droplets. But if you were vaccinated against the mumps as a child, you have nothing to worry about, right? Not necessarily. Did you know the vaccine wears off after about 15 years? Therefor, it is important to go back and get that second one to ensure you keep this highly contagious illness at bay.

What Are the Symptoms to Look Out For?

Symptoms of the mumps include:

  • Aches and pains
  • A fever
  • A persistent headache
  • Cold-like symptoms
  • Fatigue
  • Swelling of the testicles or ovaries
  • The signature ‘chipmunk cheeks’ caused by swelling of the salivary glands.

The mumps often resolves itself after a period of significant discomfort, but sometimes there are unfortunate lasting effects such as infertility or deafness. It can also lead to an infection around the brain (meningitis), which can be deadly.

Who Is Primarily Affected by the Recent Outbreak, and Why?

The mumps can strike anyone (who isn’t already immune to the disease), but recent outbreaks appear to strike young adults more often. The reason? One of two. One: the infected young people weren’t vaccinated to begin with or, two: they happened to be born between the early 1970’s and 1994, before a second vaccination in adolescents became common practice. This age group comprised a small gap in the herd immunity that wouldn’t have received their second mumps vaccination. So, what’s the best way around this? To check out your medical record and see if you fell in the category of people who didn’t receive their second immunity shot, and if you did, go get yours today!

How Can the Mumps be Prevented?

Unlike some diseases, outbreaks can be rather silent and unpredictable because they are most contagious and spread quickly during their incubation period before symptoms even show up. So, how to protect yourself against an unpredictable disease? While the measles mumps vaccine isn’t 100% proof against the diseases, it does have a very high effectivity when both doses are taken appropriately. Therefor, getting yourself and your family vaccinated is simply the best protective measure you can take against diseases like the mumps or measles.

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8 Reasons To Vaccinate Your Baby

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  1. There is no better way than vaccination to protect your baby against potentially life-threatening (but preventable) diseases.
  2. You may think multiple vaccines in the first two years will overburden your child’s system, but that is not the case. A baby could receive 11 different vaccinations at once and it would only use up one thousandth of their immune system.
  3. Vaccines are extremely safe and pass rigorous research, testing and approval by scientists, doctors and the government before dissemination.
  4. The bacteria and viruses in vaccines are weakened and therefore far less potent than the daily microbes babies have come in contact with every second since birth.
  5. While vaccination has drastically reduced the prevalence of many diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases such as the measles, whooping cough and mumps are still circulating in North America (largely due of travelers from countries with no immunization and unvaccinated people), causing several hospitalizations and deaths of children each year.
  6. When large numbers of parents refuse to vaccinate their babies, these preventable diseases thrive and spread easier causing illness and death especially for the immunocompromised.
  7. Vaccinations help protect babies and toddlers against not only diseases, but their subsequent complications such as amputation, hearing loss, seizures or death.
  8. The World Health Organization, The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, The American Academy of Pediatrics and The American Academy of Family Physicians all strongly recommend immunization of young children against the 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.

Pre And Post Vaccination Tips

Even though vaccinations are essential to protect your child against harmful diseases, it is hard to watch your baby go through a painful ordeal. Thankfully, there are measures you can take to minimize your child’s discomfort throughout this process:

  • Talk to your doctor about any information they may have to share with you about vaccinations, ask about side effects and what to expect post-injection.
  • Swaddle, cuddle, breastfeed or sing to your baby right before and after the shot.
  • maintain both physical and eye contact while the shot is happening to soothe them.
  • Bring a favorite item such as blanket or toy to comfort and distract your baby.
  • Afterward have a cool cloth or ice wrapped in a cloth to reduce discomfort and soreness at the injection site.
  • Keep an eye on your child for a few days to make sure nothing seems out of the ordinary, and contact your doctor with any post-immunization concerns.

More Information About Vaccination

http://www.vaccineinformation.org/infants-children/

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