Recent Blog Articles
Have you exfoliated lately?
Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health
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Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you
How healthy is sugar alcohol?
A bird flu primer: What to know and do
New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
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Vaccinations Archive
Articles
Summer camp: What parents need to know this year
Why won't some health care workers get vaccinated?
Wondering about COVID-19 vaccines if you're pregnant or considering pregnancy?
Why are mRNA vaccines so exciting?
Should I get a flu shot this year?
Ask the doctors
Q. I'm debating whether I need to get a flu shot this year. Do you think it's worthwhile?
A. The answer to this question is an emphatic yes. It's more important than ever to get a flu shot this year for a number of reasons. First, it will reduce your likelihood of contracting, being hospitalized for, or dying from influenza, which should be reason enough to roll up your sleeve. In addition, if you do get sick with the flu after being vaccinated, the vaccine can reduce the severity of your illness.
Heart-related complications in people hospitalized with the flu
Research we're watching
Serious heart complications are common in people hospitalized with influenza, according to a study published online Aug. 25, 2020, by Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from the CDC looked at the rates of cardiovascular problems in more than 80,000 adults hospitalized with a confirmed case of influenza (commonly called the flu) from 2010 to 2018. Almost 12% had a serious cardiovascular problem, most commonly heart failure or a lack of adequate blood flow to the heart, known as acute coronary syndrome. The body's immune response against the infection can trigger inflammation and other changes that harm the cardiovascular system.
Vaccination update
We don't yet have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, but it's still important to get your regularly scheduled shots.
You're not alone if you're avoiding doctor visits because of concerns about COVID-19. But forgoing medical care means you may be skipping needed vaccinations. "That's a huge problem already. Possibly over a hundred million people the world over have missed their vaccinations because of the pandemic," says Dr. Shiv Pillai, an immunologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Going without vaccinations may increase your risk for illness, such as influenza. "We still are just as vulnerable to infection, and we need vaccines to be protected; COVID-19 doesn't change that," says Harvard Health Letter editor in chief Dr. Anthony Komaroff.
5 tips to help you stay healthy this winter
Even in an unusual year, tried-and-true strategies are still the best way to prevent illness.
Staying healthy is likely at the top of your list almost every winter. But this year, in the midst of a pandemic, it may be even more of a concern than usual. You might wonder: should you be taking special supplements to boost your immune system, or investing in cleaning devices to zap germs?
While the viral threats may be different from usual this year, the truth is that you should still be using many of the same strategies that you use in a typical year, says Michael Starnbach, a professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School. Below are five of his top tips that can help you keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
Will there be a COVID-19 vaccine?
Ask the doctor
Q. Will we have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and, if so, when?
A. I'm optimistic because never in human history has so much scientific time and effort been spent trying to make a vaccine. But it won't it be easy. As fast as possible, the vaccine scientists need to prove, first, that a vaccine is safe (minimal side effects) and, second, that it works to reduce a person's risk of getting the disease. Then they need to produce enough of it to immunize most of the 7.6 billion people on earth. Doing all of this within two to three years of a new virus being discovered would be an unprecedented achievement.
Shingles vaccine may also reduce stroke risk
Recent Blog Articles
Have you exfoliated lately?
Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health
PTSD: How is treatment changing?
Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you
How healthy is sugar alcohol?
A bird flu primer: What to know and do
New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
Why play? Early games build bonds and brain
Moving from couch to 5K
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