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Medical 411
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Our mission is to increase health care awareness and to promote prevention through the distribution of health care education.
Vaccinations
Please be sure to take an active role in preventing upper respiratory infections. There are several things you can do to reduce the chance of contracting upper respiratory infections (URI).
Prevention is key. We are currently in the part of the season when people contract URI such as influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory infections. And now we have another, new found, deadly virus to be concerned about, the “swine flu”, also known as the “Swine” flu. As a Clinical Nurse Educator, I see it as my professional and social duty to inform you of the how important it is to get vaccinated.
Both influenza and pneumonia are URI that can cause severe complications and even death in patients with chronic illnesses like Diabetes, Chronic Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This is why annual vaccination is strongly recommended.
Scientific studies indicate that people who are most at risk for contracting the flu and or pneumonia are less likely to suffer complication of these diseases when they receive vaccinations as recommended.
Vaccination for the flu should be administered yearly unless you have allergy to eggs, have had Guillian Barre Syndrom and or have experienced a very severe reaction or illness as a direct result of getting vaccinated. Vaccination for pneumonia is administered every 5-10 years until you reach the age of sixty-five. You will only need to receive the pneumonia vaccine one time after six-five years of age, and then you are protected for life.
Repeat vaccinations are important because new strains of bacteria for both diseases develop yearly and therefore new and stronger vaccines must be created to provide effective immunity against the new strain of bacteria. If you do not get a flu shot yearly, although you received immunity for a flu strain one year ago, a new virus may have developed that your immune system is not strong enough to fight. A perfect example of this is the new “Swine Flu”, for which there is now a separate vaccine.
Although one can experience side affects, these are often mild and short lived. After vaccination, you may experience mild flu like symptoms like a fever, sniffles, running nose, watery eyes and or pain at the injection site. However, these symptoms usually resolve within two to three days. If they do not, you will need to call your Health Care Provider for further evaluation.
In the mean time, remember to practice good, frequent, hand washing and stay away from people that you know are sick.
Remember to always consult with your Health Care Provider regarding all health care concerns and questions before taking any medical advice given here or by anyone.
Nurse Moore, RN, BSN, MBA
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