As we battle a global pandemic, there is another respiratory illness that we also need to be vigilant about. Everybody knows the importance of an annual influenza vaccination. But, can the flu shot do more than help prevent you from getting the flu? A study done by the University of Miami has shown some promise in protecting against certain conditions that are associated with COVID-19.

In the study, published in the peer-reviewed publication PLoS One has found that getting your annual flu vaccine could protect you against other sicknesses that can accompany COVID-19. While it cannot prevent coronavirus, and should not be used as a replacement for the COVID-19 vaccine, this new study provides promising evidence of reduction of long-term symptoms of the virus.

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A virus is a pathogen that can cause an individual to develop an illness. A disease is a physical condition that causes the body to change its normal composition. A virus can cause a disease which in turn can cause someone to become sick.

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The saying travel is good for the soul actually has some value. In recent years travel has been a difficult task. Now that the world is reopening, more and more people are looking forward to getting back out there.

Traveling has several positive effects on your mental health. Traveling has the ability to take you out of our daily routine and into new surroundings and experiences, and this can reset your body and mind.

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Meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Usually, a bacterial or viral infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord causes swelling. There are millions of meningitis cases worldwide, and some forms of meningitis are more serious than others.

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History tells us that it takes more than vaccines to end a pandemic, this is still true. The science behind disease transmission, infection, and prevention can only get us so far. Ending a pandemic requires scientific advancement and social cooperation.

Vaccination efforts for smallpox began in 1796 when Edward Jenner observed that people who previously contracted cowpox were unaffected by smallpox. After observing this, he began to work on developing a vaccine.

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Rabies is a virus that is caused by Lyssavirus. It spreads throughout the nervous system once infected, and ultimately reaches the brain in animals and humans. But, when it reaches the brain in animals, this is when the virus begins to multiply. Once that happens, the virus travels to the salivary glands, which is how rabies is spread through a bite.

Animals can contract rabies through the same way that humans do, through an infected bite by another animal. In the United States, rabies typically occurs in wild animals that are not domesticated. These animals include:

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Contrary to popular belief, just because a person has had malaria once, does not necessarily mean they are protected from getting it again.

Being infected once with the disease does not make a person immune. This is one of the common myths surrounding malaria, according to Reuters. Malaria can resurface and infect a person for a second time. Even if an individual has grown up in an epidemic region, this doesn’t guarantee protection from the disease either.

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Pregnant women should receive a dose of the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine, also known as TDAP. This vaccine is critical to protecting the newborn from contracting pertussis (“Whooping Cough”). Because infants are at the highest risk of developing life-threatening complications from pertussis, vaccination of the mother during pregnancy is very important.

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Anytime that you go traveling to an area that has sanitary practices that are different from what is commonplace to you at home, you are at risk for picking up travelers’ diarrhea. Even a climate change that is different from what you are used to can also make it more likely that you may contract it.

Travelers’ diarrhea is a disorder of the digestive tract, and it is caused by either bacteria, a virus, or a parasite in the local water or food that may be mishandled. It’s most prominent symptom is very watery and loose diarrhea. Some other symptoms include:

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With about half the world’s population living in areas at risk, there are millions of cases of dengue reported each year. Dengue is most common in areas such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the western Pacific Islands. Dengue is a virus and is spread to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito. Once you are infected with dengue, you can only treat your symptoms as they appear.

Most people who become sick with the dengue virus should experience a full recovery within a week but it can be a very serious situation for others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “approximately 100 million people get sick from infection, and 40,000 die from severe dengue.”

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