Is The "End" of Chicken Pox Near?
Proposals for new vaccines recommended
I got chicken pox when I was 14. It was pretty horrid. I was itchy everywhere and felt very poorly and still remember being called names when I returned to school (as I had some scars).
Of course I was an exceptional case (not to get big headed). 90% of children have chicken pox before the age of 10 and it is part and parcel of “growing up” in the UK.
A recent recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended that ALL children should be given the chicken pox vaccination. Currently it is only given to those people who are in close contacts with vulnerable individuals but the UK is one of the last nations to incorporate the vaccine into its childhood vaccination programme.
The reality is that it is very effective (upto 90%), cheap and in theory, can potentially save someone from the complications of chicken pox including high fever and severe respiratory infections. Taking all this into account, why has it taken so long for the UK to adopt it for everyone?
The answer lies in Shingles. In theory, the herd immunity from the chicken pox virus is thought to have prevented higher cases of shingles from occurring. This is despite the data in other nations such as the US where the vaccine is part of the routine immunisation schedule has found no difference in the incidence of shingles. Here's a review article which brings the data together.
It seems the public are on board too. A recent study of 600 respondents demonstrated almost 2/3rds of people support routine vaccination.
So this could be the end of chicken pox parties! Yes… it was a thing - google it!
What am I watching?
For those who know me, I’m a movie buff. I recently watched a good film titled “Before I Go To Sleep.” It stars Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. The plot is quite interesting - Nicole Kidman’s memory of the day is wiped the moment she sleeps. So every day she has to remind herself about who she is.
It’s an interesting plot with a twist at the end. Definitely worth a watch!
Struggle with Blood Interpretation?
LFTs can be difficult to interpret but they tell us everything about one of the most important organs in the world. Our next GI Blood Interpretation Masterclass will explore GI blood tests and their interpretation to give you the skills you need to diagnosis GI disease. We will cover:
Every component of the liver screen including
Jaundice, alcoholic hepatitis, hepatitis serology, tumour markers and more
Diagnosis of biliary pathology using LFTs
Drug overdoses and LFT including INR interpretation
Drug induced liver/biliary pathology
And so much more…
So to master GI blood interpretation - sign up now for only £9.99!
Check us out on our various pages:
Website: www.paretoeducation.co.uk
Instagram: https://tdy.lol/lQSxv
TikTok: https://tdy.lol/AJdzQ
YouTube: https://tdy.lol/ZEoOt
Newsletter: https://tdy.lol/WnTBR
LinkedIn: https://tdy.lol/efLOB