World Hepatitis Day

Did you know that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 1.4 million cases of hepatitis A every year and there are about 240 million people living with chronic Hepatitis B? Did you know hepatitis A and B can cause inflammation of the liver, while hepatitis B can cause chronic infection that can be lifelong? And did you know that both hepatitis A and B are vaccine-preventable diseases?

Mosquitoes: How not to get eaten alive

How do we protect ourselves from mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and yellow fever? It’s pretty simple: mosquito repellent, vaccinations, and prescriptions.

Some Interesting Travel Medicine Facts

Did you know……….

– That there is no vaccine (yet) against malaria, you need to take pills to prevent malaria.

– Yellow fever vaccine is required to enter certain countries in Africa and South America.

– There is a medication you can take to prevent altitude illness. Many travelers go to high altitude locations such as Cuzco, Peru; La Paz, Bolivia; Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and Nepal.

Sorting out Meningococcal Vaccines

Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that causes meningitis. There are 5 sero-groups of the meningococcal bacteria that cause illness in North America: groups A, B, C, Y, and W-135.

Who Needs Measles Vaccines?

Everyone born prior to Jan 1, 1970 is immune to measles, either through disease or vaccine. All children born in BC as of Jan 1,1996 received two doses of measles/mumps/rubella vaccine.