ARTICLES RELATED TO:
Measles

You’ve probably heard the news lately about measles outbreaks in the U.S. Although the disease was declared eliminated here in 2000, there have been scattered outbreaks across the country in recent years. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have already reported more than 120 cases this year in New York, Texas, and Washington State. It’s important that parents understand the disease and what they need to do to prevent and spot it. Vaccinations: The Best Way to Prevent Measles Measles is caused by a virus, but it is not just a rash and a fever. It can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5. About 1 in 4 people in the U.S. who get measles need to be hospitalized. 1 in 1,000 people with measles develop brain swelling, which can cause brain damage. 1 or 2 in 1,000 people with measles die, even […]

We live in a time of information overload. It’s impossible to open your computer or reach for your phone and not be surrounded by mountains of information. And with so much at our fingertips, it can be hard to know what is true and what is false. I understand the confusion that so many conflicting accounts can cause because I see it every day. But as a mother of two children I cherish, and as a pediatrician and champion of wellness, there is one thing that does not confuse me — the fact that vaccines are safe and save lives. When my first child was born, I cradled her in my arms and vowed to keep her safe. Since that time, I have worked hard to sustain her mind, body, and spirit with healthy habits. I’m fortunate to be a pediatrician who reads avidly, and is able to make sense […]

Vaccines don’t just protect your kids from illnesses — they protect them from passing the germs on to high-risk populations, like the elderly, babies who are too young to get immunized, kids still in need of their booster shots, children whose immune systems aren’t working well (like those with cancer). As a parent, vaccinating your kids is the safest option for them, your family, and your community. How do vaccines work? Getting vaccinated is a way of creating immunity to certain diseases by using small amounts of killed or weakened bacteria (such as pneumococcus) or viruses (like measles) that cause the particular disease. Vaccines cause the immune system to react as if there were a real infection — it fends off the “infection” and remembers the organism so that it can fight it quickly should it enter the body later. What is community immunity? Community immunity, or “herd immunity,” is when […]