All You Need to Know About the New Shingles Vaccine – Shingrix
By Dr Nicola Harrison Firstly – what is Shingles? Shingles is also known as Herpes Zoster and is a severely painful blistering skin rash that can only occur in those that have previously had chickenpox. The rash can result in persistent pain (post-herpetic neuralgia) at the rash site long after it has cleared up. The […]
Reluctance or Refusal to Vaccinate one of the 10 Threats to Global Health
This year April 7th is World Health Day and we should celebrate the achievements in the field of vaccination. However, despite vaccine availability, many refuse or hesitate to be vaccinated despite vaccines being available. Vaccination is one of the best ways of avoiding disease. It prevents ill-health, death and disability. With an outbreak […]
Are you anxious about the flu shot?
A recent survey has shown that a large number of parents are very sceptical about giving the flu vaccine to their children. Fears included: More than 50% think the flu shot can give you the flu A third don’t think the vaccine works A third think the flu vaccine is a conspiracy 28% are […]
The MMR Vaccine – Time to take action
This week the World Health Organisation called on many countries to take action as measles continues to spread throughout Europe at an alarming rate. More than 41,000 people have been infected with measles worldwide in the first six months of 2018, leading to 37 deaths. 1 In 2017 there were 23,927 cases of measles and […]
What to expect after your child’s vaccinations
After receiving vaccination(s), your baby may cry for a little while but this usually settles quickly with a cuddle or a feed. Most babies don’t have any reaction, but at site of injection (upper arm or thigh) there could be: Swelling Redness Small hard lump These settle within 2-3 days and do not need any […]
Meningitis Vaccination – Worrying figures of poor uptake amongst teenagers. Should immunisation be offered to everyone?
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It can affect anyone but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. Many people carry the bacteria in their noses and throats without becoming infected but can pass it onto others (carriers). It is thought […]
Human Papillomavirus vaccination (Gardasil9) in boys and gay men
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common viral infection with over 100 strains, some of which cause simple hand warts or verrucas, but some can cause the sexually-transmitted infection genital warts or a range of cancers (cervical, vaginal, vulval, penile, anal and oral). Gay and bisexual men have high rates of HPV infection and HPV-related […]
Meningitis Vaccination Update
What is Meningitis Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord. Bacteria or a virus usually causes it, but bacterial meningitis is the most serious type. In the UK and Ireland, meningococcal bacteria (Neisseria Meningitidis) are the commonest cause of meningitis. There are 13 different strains of this bacterium and […]
