Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule - 2011

 

1. Influenza vaccination
Annual vaccination against influenza is recommended for all persons aged 6 months and older, including all adults. Healthy, nonpregnant adults aged less than 50 years without high-risk medical conditions can receive either intranasally administered live, attenuated influenza vaccine (FluMist), or inactivated vaccine. Other persons should receive the inactivated vaccine. Adults aged 65 years and older can receive the standard influenza vaccine or the high-dose (Fluzone) influenza vaccine. Additional information about influenza vaccination is available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/flu/default.htm.

Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 7 - 18 Years— 2011

This schedule includes recommendations in effect as of December 21, 2010. Any dose not administered at the recommended age should be administered at a subsequent visit, when indicated and feasible. The use of a combination vaccine generally is preferred over separate injections of its equivalent component vaccines.
Considerations should include provider assessment, patient preference, and the potential for adverse events. 

1. Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap).
(Minimum age: 10 years for Boostrix and 11 years for Adacel))
• Persons aged 11 through 18 years who have not received Tdap should receive a dose followed by Td booster doses every 10 years thereafter.
• Persons aged 7 through 10 years who are not fully immunized against pertussis (including those never vaccinated or with unknown pertussis vaccination status) should receive a single dose of Tdap. Refer to the catch-up schedule if additional doses of tetanus and diphtheria toxoid–containing vaccine are needed.
• Tdap can be administered regardless of the interval since the last tetanus and diphtheria toxoid–containing vaccine.

10 Habits for a Stronger Heart

Men's Health .The smartest plan for attacking a heart attack is, of course, preventing one from ever happening. Choose three of the following strategies and make them a habit. The closer to the top, the more you reduce your risk of heart disease.

1. Convince Your Wife to Stop Smoking
Nonsmoking husbands of smoking wives face a 92 % increase in their risk of heart attack. Breathing secondhand smoke boosts bad cholesterol levels, decreases good cholesterol, and increases your blood's tendency to clot.

2. Work Out for 30 Minutes, Four Times a Week
Middle-aged men who exercise vigorously for 2 or more hours cumulatively per week have 60 percent less risk of heart attack than inactive men do.

3. Lose 10 - 20 Pounds
If you're overweight, dropping 10 to 20 pounds lowers your risk of dying from a heart attack. A 10-year study found that overweight people had heart attacks 8.2 years earlier than normal-weight victims.

4. Drink 5 Glasses of Water a Day
Men who drink that many 8-ounce glasses are 54 % less likely to have a fatal heart attack than those who drink two or fewer. Researchers say the water dilutes the blood, making it less likely to clot.

5. Switch from Coffee to Tea
A recent study found that people who drink three cups of tea a day have half the risk of heart attack of those who don't drink tea at all. Potent antioxidants, called flavonoids, provide a protective effect.

6. Eat Salmon on Saturday, Tuna on Tuesday
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that eating fish at least twice a week lowers heart-disease risk by more than 30 percent. The magic ingredient is the omega-3 fatty acids.

7. Ask Your Doctor About Vitamin E and Aspirin
Men who take both cut the plaque in clogged arteries by more than 80%, according to a recent University of Pennsylvania study.

8. Eat a Cup of Total Corn Flakes for Breakfast
This cereal contains one of the highest concentrations of folate (675 micrograms) of any cereal. Taking in that much folic acid daily cuts your risk of cardiovascular disease by 13 percent, according to researchers.

9. Count to 10
Creating a 10-second buffer before reacting to a stressful situation may be enough to cool you down. Men who respond with anger are three times more likely to have heart disease and five times more likely to have a heart attack before turning 55.

10. Eat Watermelon
It contains about 40 % more lycopene than is found in raw tomatoes, and a new study shows that your body absorbs it at higher levels due to the melon's high water content. Half a wedge can boost heart-disease prevention by 30%.

Northern Ethiopia declare an end to Female Genital Cutting

Female genital cutting (FGC), also known as female genital mutilation (FGM), female circumcision, or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs "whether for cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons."

• The term is almost exclusively used to describe traditional or religious procedures on a minor, which requires the parents' consent because of the age of the girl.

When the procedure is performed on and with the consent of an adult, it is generally called clitoridectomy, or it may be part of labiaplasty or vaginoplasty. It also generally does not refer to procedures used in sex reassignment surgery, and the genital modification of intersexuals.
FGC is predominantly practiced in Northeast Africa and parts of the Near East and Southeast Asia,although it has also been reported to occur in individual tribes in South America and Australia.Opposition is motivated by concerns regarding the consent (or lack thereof, in most cases) of the patient, and subsequently the safety and long-term consequences of the procedures. In the past several decades, there have been many concerted efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to end the practice of FGC. The United Nations has also declared February 6 as "International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation".


 Because the term female genital mutilation has been criticized for increasing the stigma associated with female genital surgery, some groups have proposed an alteration, substituting with the word "cutting" the one of "mutilation." According to a joint WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA statement, the use of the word "mutilation" reinforces the idea that this practice is a violation of the human rights of girls and women, and thereby helps promote national and international advocacy towards its abandonment. They state that, at the community level, however, the term can be problematic; and that local languages generally use the less judgmental "cutting" to describe the practice. They also state that parents resent the suggestion that they are "mutilating" their daughters. In 1999, the UN Special Rapporteur on Traditional Practices called for tact and patience regarding activities in this area and drew attention to the risk of "demonizing" certain cultures, religions, and communities. As a result, the term "cutting" has come to be used when trying to avoid alienating communities.In 1996, the Uganda-based initiative REACH (Reproductive, Educative, And Community Health) began using the term "FGC", observing that "FGM" may "imply excessive judgment by outsiders as well as insensitivity toward individuals who have undergone some form of genital excision." The UN uses "FGM" in official documents, while some of its agencies, such as the UN Population Fund, use both the terms "FGM" and "FGC".

The Starchild Skull

The Starchild skull is an abnormal human skull allegedly found in Mexico. It is primarily notable due to claims by paranormal researchers that it is the product of extraterrestrial-human breeding. DNA recovered from the skull establishes it as human.

Introduction

        In the 1930's, in a small rural village 100 miles southwest of Chihuahua, Mexico, at the back of a mine tunnel, two mysterious remains were found: a complete human skeleton and a smaller, malformed skeleton
         In late February of 1999, Lloyd Pye was first shown the Starchild skull by its owners. Nameless then, it was a highly anomalous skull. He initially felt it would prove to be a rare genetic deformity of some kind. This skull’s symmetry was astonishing, even more so than the average human. In fact, all of its bones—most of which had human counterparts—were beautifully shaped. But shaped like what? Solving many questions that this unusual skull presented became his challenge. 

Skull Discovery

Sixty to seventy years ago an American girl of Mexican heritage in her late teens (15 to 18) was taken by her parents to visit relatives living in a small rural village 100 miles southwest of Chihuahua, Mexico. The girl was forbidden to enter any of the area's numerous caves and mine tunnels, but like most teenagers, she went exploring. At the back of a mine tunnel she found a complete human skeleton lying on the ground's surface. Beside it, sticking up out of the ground, was a malformed skeletal hand entwined in one of the human skeleton's upper arms. The girl proceeded to scrape the dirt off a shallow grave to reveal a buried skeleton smaller than the human one and also malformed. She did not specify the type or degree of any of the "malformations."

The Importance of Antioxidants

The prefix "anti" means against, in opposition to, or corrective in nature. In order to understand antioxidants, it helps to learn what exactly these agents oppose and correct. Within the human body, millions of processes are occurring at all times. These processes require oxygen. Unfortunately, that same life giving oxygen can create harmful side effects, or oxidant substances, which cause cell damage and lead to chronic disease. Oxidants, commonly known as "free radicals," are also introduced through external sources such as exposure to the sun or pollution. Other mediums include stress, as well as things that people put into their bodies, such as alcoholic beverages, unhealthy foods, and cigarette smoke. In much the same way as oxidation creates rust, causing a breakdown on the surface of inanimate objects, oxidation inside the body causes a breakdown of cells. Free radicals produced by this breakdown attack healthy cells, usually DNA as well as proteins and fats. This chain of events weakens immunological functions as well as speeding up the aging process, and is also linked to several diseases such as cataracts, various forms of cancer, and heart disease. Some studies indicate possible links to arthritis and several other chronic conditions.

15 Houseplants for Improving Indoor Air Quality

In the late '80s, NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America studied houseplants as a way to purify the air in space facilities.

• They found several plants that filter out common volatile organic compounds . Lucky for us the plants can also help clean indoor air on Earth, which is typically far more polluted than outdoor air. 
• Other studies have since been published in the Journal of American Society of Horticultural Science further proving the science.

      Aloe (Aloe vera)

This easy-to-grow, sun-loving succulent helps clear formaldehyde and benzene, which can be a byproduct of chemical-based cleaners, paints and more. Aloe is a smart choice for a sunny kitchen window. Beyond its air-clearing abilities, the gel inside an aloe plant can help heal cuts and burns.

Creative Ads: Toronto Plastic Surgery

Thanks to the success of US television shows like Extreme Makeover, plastic surgery is fast becoming the norm. The latest advertising campaign for Canadian surgery ‘Toronto Plastic Surgery’ takes it one step further. Ad agency DDB Canada dreamed up this clever idea - allowing consumers to test-drive a new nose shape while drinking their coffee. We love it. 

#Ad. : Do You Know First Aid?

To raise awareness around World First Aid Day,  ad agency 'Downtown Partners' placed life size realistic decals of a person at the bottom stairwells in Cineplex Odeon Theatres in Toronto. At first, the decal generates the impression that someone is lying down unconscious and needs help, but as you get closer, you'll realize it's just a picture on the floor with a call to action to visit www.redcross.ca for a first aid training course. Let's hope it doesn't freak someone out and give them a heart attack first.

Medical Abortion : What is the Abortion Pill?

When a woman becomes pregnant, she is posed with a question. She must decide whether or not she is ready to bring new life into the world. It is one of the most monumental moments in a woman’s life and a decision that brings together her past, her present and her future dreams.

For many women, the answer is crystal clear: No, it is not time. Or, yes, she is ready to become a mother. For others, the answer is far less certain. There are many questions that must be answered, many emotions that must be explored. Ultimately, the choice should come from a loving heart and a clear head. You know your life situation best and will make the decision that is not only best for yourself but for those who already depend on you.

If you are pregnant and unsure of your path, i encourage you to involve someone – a relative, partner, friend, religious advisor, a physician or someone you trust to talk about the options in front of you. 

Making a choice about your pregnancy can be a gift of learning and growth. It is an invitation for you to develop a larger vision of yourself. It’s a way to practice compassion and loving kindness toward yourself.” from “Abortion: Finding Your Own Truth” by Corrintha Rebecca Bennett, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice


Decisions
If you are having a hard time, you will probably need to spend time identifying and sorting out your feelings about this experience. When pregnancy occurs, you may feel as if your entire past, present and future are up for examination. So, feelings about abortion may also have a great deal to do with other issues in your life that have not been addressed.

Is Abortion a Medical issue or is it a Moral issue or a Legal issue?

Click the link below to view the question and/or answer it:
http://www.medpedia.com/questions/2420-is-abortion-a-medical-issue-or-is-it-a-moral-issue-or-a-legal-issue

Consequences of 'Foot Binding' among Women in China

               Foot binding  was a custom practiced on young girls and women for approximately one thousand years in China, beginning in the 10th century and ending in the first half of 20th century.
Foot-binding resulted in lifelong disabilities for most of its practitioners. As the practice waned in the early 20th century, "some girls' feet were released after initial binding, leaving less severe deformities," according to a study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco. However, some effects of foot-binding were permanent, especially if a girl's arches or toes had been broken or other drastic measures taken in order to achieve the desired smallness. In the 1990s and early 2000s, some elderly (born until mid-1940s) Chinese women still suffered from disabilities related to bound feet.


Legend has it that the origins of footbinding go back as far as the Shang dynasty (1700-1027 B.C.). The Shang Empress had a clubfoot, so she demanded that footbinding be made compulsory in the court.
But historical records from the Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) date footbinding as beginning during the reign of Li Yu, who ruled over one region of China between 961-975. It is said his heart was captured by a concubine, Yao Niang, a talented dancer who bound her feet to suggest the shape of a new moon and performed a "lotus dance."

Support a Charity Just by Watching YouTube

• Do Something - Thumb Wars PSA

BroadbandTV Corp. recently launched a YouTube destination to get your social good on. The site, named VISO Give, aggregates pre-existing video content from non-profits, sorts it by company name and type of cause, and lets you watch or search for your favorites.

VISO Give features videos from celebrities like the cast members of Community asking you not to text while driving, Usher speaking about getting out the vote and Nick Jonas promoting music education outreach on behalf of DoSomething.org. However, the channel also gives equal billing to smaller non-profits like a bobcat rescue or regional homeless job centers that might not have the same exposure or celebrity backing.


What makes the site interesting is its emphasis on providing a service not just to users looking for videos, but to the non-profits looking for help. Charities usually have to fight for two things: exposure and funding. VISO Give helps with both. VISO, the consumer branch of BroadbandTV, already rakes in more than 1 billion impressions through YouTube, via its video game and movie trailers channels. That built-in fan base will hopefully convert to the new channel and send new eyeballs to non-profits of all sizes.

Causes of Amenorrhea

What is Amenorrhea?
Amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding. Amenorrhea is a normal feature in :

• prepubertal, 
• pregnant,
• postmenopausal females.

In females of reproductive age, diagnosing amenorrhea is a matter of first determining whether pregnancy is the etiology. In the absence of pregnancy, the challenge is to determine the exact cause of absent menses. This article reviews the physiologic aspects of menstruation and presents an approach for ascertaining the etiology of amenorrhea. Only the main components of amenorrhea are highlighted. Many minor components of physiology are important but are beyond the scope of this article.

Pathophysiology

The menstrual cycle is an orderly progression of hormonal events in the female body that results in the release of an egg. Menstruation occurs when an egg released by the ovary remains unfertilized; subsequently, the soggy decidua of the endometrium (which was primed to receive a fertilized egg) is sloughed in a flow of menses in preparation for another cycle.

Improved Treatment for Severe Malaria Saves More Lives

Malaria kills around one million people every year, with nine in ten deaths being in young African children. 

• Severe malaria, marked by serious symptoms such as coma, convulsions, or difficulty breathing, progresses rapidly and is particularly deadly. Those who manage to survive are often left with life-long neurological damage.

• Severe malaria is still mostly treated with the drug quinine, while uncomplicated malaria is treated with drugs containing derivates of artemisinin, an extract from a Chinese plant. In early 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommended that adults with severe malaria be treated with artesunate, a derivate of artemisinin, because it is more effective and has fewer side effects than quinine.

Now, the results from a large trial in nine African countries provide strong evidence that children would also benefit from the newer drug. MSF is already treating severe malaria in children with a drug derived from artemisinin and will now widely introduce artesunate. Artesunate should be used to treat both adults and children with severe malaria so that many more lives can be saved.
But wider obstacles remain: WHO treatment recommendations have yet to be revised in light of the latest evidence in children, and most countries have yet to recommend artesunate in place of quinine for either adults or children. And international donors have yet to put their full weight behind the latest evidence.

Breakthrough Meningitis Vaccine Developed for Africa at Affordable Price

          A new conjugate vaccine against meningococcus A costing only $0.5 (£0.3; €0.4) a dose that has been developed for use in Africa is about to be introduced for the first time in a national vaccination programme in Burkina Faso, researchers announced.

• The campaign to vaccinate all children and young adults from the ages of 1 to 29 years with the vaccine, MenAfriVac, will begin in Burkina Faso on 6 December. Niger and Mali will follow with similar vaccination campaigns.

Countries in the so called meningitis belt in sub-Saharan Africa—from Senegal in the west to Somalia in the east—have had regular epidemics of meningococcal meningitis for the past century. Almost all of the major outbreaks are caused by group A Neisseria menigitidis.

Sources:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001633

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

LIFETIME: What would it mean for us to be Immortal?

         In this four-programme series, string theory pioneer Michio Kaku goes on an extraordinary exploration of the world in search of time.He discovers our sense of time passing and the clocks that drive our bodies. He reveals the forces of time that make and destroy us in a lifetime. He journeys to some of the Earth's most spectacular geological sites to look for clues to the extraordinary depths of time at a planetary level. Finally, he takes us on a cosmic journey in search of the beginning (and the end) of time itself.

		1. DAYTIME Monday 30 July 2007 11pm-midnight Time seems to drive every moment. It's the most inescapable force we feel. But do we experience time from within our minds and bodies or from the outside?  Further details about the episode
		2. LIFETIME Monday 6 August 2007 11pm-midnight The most powerful effect of time on our lives is the way it limits us. Our knowledge of death is so embedded in our lives and spirituality that, were immortality possible, would we lose the sense that makes us human?  Further details about the episode
		3. EARTH TIME Monday 13 August 2007 11pm-midnight TBC We hold a unique knowledge of time, realising that it stretches deep into the past, and will continue into the future. How does this affect our sense of who we are?  Further details about the episode
		4. COSMIC TIME Monday 20 August 2007 11pm-midnight TBC We've always structured our lives based on an unchanging past and a predictable and ordered future. But atomic and cosmic discoveries have changed all that. What is time itself? And will it ever end?  Further details about the episode

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/time.shtml