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Busted! 5 Myths About Vaccines
Read More: Busted! 5 Myths About VaccinesAugust is National Immunization Awareness Month. Remember the Great Polio Scare of 2025? Of course you donโt! Thanks to vaccines, the deadly poliovirus was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979. Vaccines are like the Superwoman of modern medicine: They prevent serious diseases and illnesses, protect society through herd immunity and save countless lives. But heavy…
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FAQs About the RSV Vaccine
Read More: FAQs About the RSV VaccineRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common infection that targets the lungs and respiratory system. Itโs so common that many children have been infected with the virus before their second birthday. But RSV doesnโt just make children sick, the virus can also infect adults. RSV disrupts cell linings in the respiratory tract and when the…
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All About Respiratory Viruses
Read More: All About Respiratory Viruses+ Infographic text Respiratory illnesses come from viruses that affect the respiratory system . Common respiratory illnesses: Cold (rhinovirus/enterovirus) Flu (influenza A and B) Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) Adenovirusย HPIVs (human parainfluenza viruses) hMPV (human metapneumovirus) Respiratory illnesses cause symptoms, such as: Cough Runny or stuffy nose Sneezing Sore throatย Chills Fever Headache…
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Common Misconceptions About Vaccinations And The Risks Of Missing Vaccines
Read More: Common Misconceptions About Vaccinations And The Risks Of Missing VaccinesImmunisation โ more commonly known as vaccination โ remains one of the most effective public health interventions we have. Each year, it prevents an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccines are rigorously tested for safety and continue to be closely monitored even after approval, making them…
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Common Misconceptions About Vaccinations And The Risks Of Missing Vaccines
Read More: Common Misconceptions About Vaccinations And The Risks Of Missing VaccinesImmunisation โ more commonly known as vaccination โ remains one of the most effective public health interventions we have. Each year, it prevents an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccines are rigorously tested for safety and continue to be closely monitored even after approval, making them…
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Conversaciรณn con tu proveedor de atenciรณn mรฉdica acerca de las vacunas
Read More: Conversaciรณn con tu proveedor de atenciรณn mรฉdica acerca de las vacunasEnglish Tenรญa siete meses de embarazo en 1990 cuando tuve un caso grave de varicela. Nos aterraba pensar en la probabilidad de perder a nuestro hijo. En las etapas tempranas del embarazo, la varicela, tambiรฉn conocida como lechina, puede causar cicatrices, lesiones de los รณrganos fetales y discapacidades de desarrollo y de aprendizaje. En embarazos…
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Talking to Your Healthcare Provider About Vaccines
Read More: Talking to Your Healthcare Provider About VaccinesI was seven months pregnant in 1990 when I came down with a raging case of chickenpox. We were terrified weโd lose our son. In the early stages of pregnancy, chickenpox, also known as the varicella virus, can cause scarring, fetal organ damage, and developmental and learning disabilities. In late pregnancy, it can be life…
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4 Things to Know About the Hepatitis B Vaccine
Read More: 4 Things to Know About the Hepatitis B VaccineYouโve probably seen the hepatitis B vaccine in the news lately. If youโre wondering what the buzz is about, letโs start with the basics. Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The infection can be short-term or last for life, and it can cause severe complications such as liver…
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Measles Is Baaaack. Are You At Risk?
Read More: Measles Is Baaaack. Are You At Risk?Youโve probably seen measles popping up in your news feed lately โ hopefully thatโs the only place youโre seeing it โ because cases have been on the rise. More than 1,300 measles cases have been reported so far this year โ the most recorded since the disease was officially eliminated from the United States 25…
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HealthyWomen Statement on HHS Recommendations Regarding Covid-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy
Read More: HealthyWomen Statement on HHS Recommendations Regarding Covid-19 Vaccination During PregnancyHealthyWomen shares the concerns of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other medical associations about the health and safety of pregnant people and newborns in the United States following the recent announcement that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy. This decision may…
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15 Minutes With: Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, Talks Viruses, Vaccines and Avoiding the Bird Flu
Read More: 15 Minutes With: Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, Talks Viruses, Vaccines and Avoiding the Bird FluKatelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH, is our type of public health professional. As an epidemiologist, she studies patterns and causes of disease in public health (e.g., Covid), and sheโs super passionate about sharing evidence-based information with anyone whoโs interested. Her free weekly newsletter, Your Local Epidemiologist, breaks down complicated public health facts in a friendly, easy…
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HPV Vaccination Around the World
Read More: HPV Vaccination Around the WorldJanuary is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. + Infographic text HPV (human papillomavirus) is very common โ so common that almost all of us will get it at some point.ย HPV infections often go away on their own, but the virus can cause some types of cancer. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, and…
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Covid Vaccine Schedule for Older Adults & Immunocompromised People
Read More: Covid Vaccine Schedule for Older Adults & Immunocompromised PeopleAlthough the pandemic is officially over, Covid is still making many people sick. And the virus is especially dangerous for adults 65 or older and people with moderately or severely weakened immune systems, who are at higher risk for severe illness and hospitalization. The good news is that vaccines can lower your chances of getting…
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Should You Get Vaccinated for Covid This Fall?
Read More: Should You Get Vaccinated for Covid This Fall?Weโll get straight to the point: You should get an updated Covid vaccine when itโs available this fall. Per the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone aged 6 months and older should get the 2024-2025 vaccine. So, unless youโre a tiny baby, that means you. (If you are a…
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6 Important Things to Know About Covid Vaccines to Help You Understand Your Options
Read More: 6 Important Things to Know About Covid Vaccines to Help You Understand Your OptionsThe world of Covid vaccines has certainly changed since the initial pandemic days of people waiting in long lines to get vaccinated. Today, there are several different Covid vaccines to choose from. Two are mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) and one is a protein-based vaccine (Novavax). And if youโre confused about whatโs available and when you…
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Top 5 Ways to Feel Empowered About Vaccine Decision-Making
Read More: Top 5 Ways to Feel Empowered About Vaccine Decision-MakingVaccines have been around for hundreds of years and have protected millions of people from illness. Theyโre one of the safest and most effective tools we have for keeping ourselves, our loved ones and our communities healthy. But thereโs a lot of information (and misinformation) about vaccines floating around out there, and itโs not always…
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Understanding the Different Types of Covid-19 Vaccines
Read More: Understanding the Different Types of Covid-19 VaccinesReviewed by Sabra Klein, Ph.D. + Infographic text As of May 2023, 68 million Americans in the U.S. โ 1 out of 5 people โ- were unvaccinated against Covid-19, had not completed their primary series or had not gotten a booster dose. Now that a few types of Covid-19 vaccines are available, experts hope more…
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8 Ways to Stay Healthy This Flu Season
Read More: 8 Ways to Stay Healthy This Flu SeasonโTis the season for fun, festivities โฆ and the flu. We know โ whomp, whomp โ but the flu is nothing to sneeze at. For some people, the flu can be a serious, life-threatening illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated as many as 670,000 people were hospitalized with the flu between…
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Nicole Ari Parker on Choosing to Protect Herself and Her Family from Covid
Read More: Nicole Ari Parker on Choosing to Protect Herself and Her Family from CovidHealthyWomen recently sat down with actor, mother and business owner Nicole Ari Parker to discuss the importance of getting vaccinated against Covid. The star of the new show โThe Refuge Playsโ has also been supporting health and wellness initiatives for many years. Here, she sheds light on vaccine hesitancy among people of color, the crucial…
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How are Vaccines Made?
Read More: How are Vaccines Made?ย + Video transcript How Are Vaccines Made? Image of a large family seated around the Thanksgiving dinner table. Mom, at the head of the table, is talking Mom: Iโm so glad we could all be together for Thanksgiving this year! Emily, weโre especially glad to finally meet you. Sam has been gushing about you…
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Common Diseases and Their Vaccines
Read More: Common Diseases and Their VaccinesMedically reviewed by Christina Cwynar, DNP, CPNP-PC, PMHNP-BC ย + Video text Video/Image Voiceover/Audio Drawing of woman lying in a hospital bed erased and replaced with drawing of a syringe Many formerly common diseases are now under control, thanks to vaccines. Letโs look at some of these diseases โ and the vaccines that prevent them.…
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Did You Get a Polio Vaccine as a Child? Here’s How to Find Out.
Read More: Did You Get a Polio Vaccine as a Child? Here’s How to Find Out.Long before Covid-19 disrupted daily life and put millions of people at risk, polio outbreaks caused thousands of cases of paralysis, disability and death in the 1940s and early 1950s. With the invention of polio vaccines in the 1950s, cases dropped steadily and polio was officially gone from the Americas in the 1990s. Today, polio…
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How to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Getting the HPV Vaccine as an Adult
Read More: How to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Getting the HPV Vaccine as an AdultMedically reviewed by Nancy Berman, MSN, ANP-BC, NCMP, FAANP This resource was created with support from Merck. + Video transcript What you need to know about getting the HPV vaccine as an adult. Narrator: HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause genital warts and several types ofย cancers, including cervical, anal, vaginal,…
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What You Need to Know About Viral Hepatitis A, B and C
Read More: What You Need to Know About Viral Hepatitis A, B and CDesigned by Elizabeth Gething Reviewed by Joyce Knestrick, Ph.D., FNP-BC, FAANP + Infographic text Hepatitis is inflammation (swelling) of the liver, which performs important jobs such as filtering your blood and fighting infections. Hepatitis can be caused by viruses as well as heavy alcohol use, certain toxins, some medications and certain medical conditions. The three…
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What Is Pneumococcal Disease?
Read More: What Is Pneumococcal Disease?Pneumococcal disease is an umbrella term for illnesses caused by bacteria called pneumococcus. There are more than 90 types of pneumococcus, and theyโre the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). CAP is the type of pneumonia people get from non-medical community settings. Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs. When you have a bacterial,…
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Why Arenโt Pregnant Women Getting Vaccinated?
Read More: Why Arenโt Pregnant Women Getting Vaccinated?Can pregnant women get vaccinated? There is well-documented evidence of the efficacy, safety and benefits of maternal immunization. But, despite that evidence and the recommendations of healthcare providers, many pregnant women do not receive essential vaccines during pregnancy that protect their babies against influenza (flu), tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (Tdap). In 2019 and 2020,…
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10 Vaccines Adults Should Get
Read More: 10 Vaccines Adults Should GetDid you know that adults need vaccines, even if they got all their vaccines as a child? Some vaccines you received should last your lifetime, while others need boosters years later. There are also a few vaccines that you might need once you reach a certain age or if you are in a particular situation.…
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Whatโs the Connection Between Chickenpox and Shingles?
Read More: Whatโs the Connection Between Chickenpox and Shingles?Edie Norton went through her first bout of shingles when she was just 28. Now 60, the Herndon, Virginia, technical editor recalled having an itchy rash around her waist for several weeks before seeing a dermatologist. โMy doctor took a skin sample of the rash to confirm that I had shingles,โ Norton said. Fortunately, Nortonโs…
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15 Minutes With: Kizzmekia S Corbett, Ph.D., Talks to HealthyWomen About Omicron
Read More: 15 Minutes With: Kizzmekia S Corbett, Ph.D., Talks to HealthyWomen About OmicronKizzmekia S Corbett, Ph.D, is a viral immunologist whose work focuses on propelling novel vaccine development for pandemic preparedness. She is a research fellow and the scientific lead for the Coronavirus Vaccines & Immunopathogenesis Team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and an assistant professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvardโs T. H.…
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A Motherโs Journey to Getting Her Children Vaccinated
Read More: A Motherโs Journey to Getting Her Children VaccinatedEleven years ago, Kristen OโMeara was hesitant to vaccinate her newborn daughter. โI was suspicious,โ OโMeara recalled. โI did a lot of anxious hand-wringing.โ OโMeara, a special education director at a charter school in Chicago, said she began her online research with questions primed to turn up answers that reflected her bias. โI went in…
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Should You Get a COVID-19 Booster Shot Now or Wait Until Fall? Two Immunologists Help Weigh the Options
Read More: Should You Get a COVID-19 Booster Shot Now or Wait Until Fall? Two Immunologists Help Weigh the OptionsBy Prakash Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina and Mitzi Nagarkatti, University of South Carolina While COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, it has become clear that the protection offered by the current vaccines wanes over time. This necessitates the use of booster shots that are safe and effective in…
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Why Parents Need to Ask About the Meningitis B Vaccination
Read More: Why Parents Need to Ask About the Meningitis B VaccinationMedically reviewed by Dr. Karen W. Bonnie This resource was created with support from GSK.
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The 1 in 10 U.S. Doctors With Reservations About Vaccines Could Be Undermining the Fight Against Covid-19
Read More: The 1 in 10 U.S. Doctors With Reservations About Vaccines Could Be Undermining the Fight Against Covid-19By Matt Motta, Oklahoma State University and Timothy Callaghan, Texas A&M University American attitudes toward scientific expertise have become increasingly contentious in recent years. But many people across the political spectrum still place high levels of trust in their personal physicians. Correspondingly, both popular media and public health officials have encouraged physicians to serve as…
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Where Are You Getting Your Covid-19 Vaccine Information?
Read More: Where Are You Getting Your Covid-19 Vaccine Information?Mashaya Engel spent 2021 researching and preparing for the arrival of her first child. Every day, Engel found herself scouring the internet, reading baby-related articles and using various pregnancy apps, including an app called What to Expect, a pregnancy and baby tracker. Most of what she found on the app was informative and credible โ…
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15 Minutes With Dr. Leana Wen
Read More: 15 Minutes With Dr. Leana WenDr. Leana Wen is an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University who previously served as the health commissioner in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Wen is a familiar face on CNN, where she serves as a medical analyst, writes a weekly column in The Washington Post and hosts the Postโs newsletter, The Checkup…
