Children’s immune systems are more vulnerable to the flu; even kids who are otherwise healthy can develop complications. The best way to protect children is by having them vaccinated.
They’re not perfect, but flu shots are still good to get.
AP Photo/David Goldman
The 2018-2019 flu season was less deadly than the last. But the pattern of infection was unusual, thanks to the various strains circulating and the way flu shots work over time.
If a Canadian health-care professional believes that an adolescent is a mature minor and has not been vaccinated, they are legally and ethically obliged to provide them with information about vaccination.
(Shutterstock)
In Canada, the age of consent for health-care decisions is assessed on a case-by-case basis. It can be age 14, or sometimes even younger.
Terry Roark holds a photo of her son, Thomas, at the state Capitol in Sacramento, California, April 24, 2019, to voice opposition to a bill that would allow state health officials more say in vaccine exemptions.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo
As measles cases surge, people blame parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. A sociologist who has studied public health says anti-vaxxers may not be so different from the rest of us.
The majority of people in Australia who haven’t had all the vaccinations they need are adults.
From shutterstock.com
There are many reasons adults might not be up to date with the vaccinations they need. Catching up is easy enough, and vitally important in the fight against infectious diseases.
There is no cure for polio, and the vaccine remains the most effective way to combat the disease.
Shutterstock
As the measles outbreaks spread, public health officials are trying different measures to curb it. Yet there are limits to what they can do as they balance community safety and personal freedom.
Most Canadians support the idea of mandatory vaccination. But unintended consequences could worsen the under-vaccination problem.
(Shutterstock)
Q fever is a flu-like infection that spreads to people from animals. The bacteria that causes it can withstand harsh environmental conditions – in particular, drought.
Dr. Roberto Ieraci prepares to vaccinate a child in Rome on Feb. 23, 2018.
Alessandro Tarantino/AP Photo
Anti-vaccination sentiment is leading to disastrous consequences, not only in the U.S. but European countries, particularly Italy. A philosopher of science suggests how best to use facts to fight it.
Listening to people’s concerns is important when talking to someone who is hesitant about vaccination.
From shutterstock.com
You don’t have to be an expert to be an effective advocate for vaccination. Here are some tips if you find yourself talking to someone who isn’t convinced they should vaccinate their kids.
The study of caribou ecology in the Sahtú region of Canada’s Northwest Territories shows how western science and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge are used together.
Shutterstock
Science is a multicultural enterprise that benefits from and indeed requires competing views.
A sign at a clinic in Vancouver, Washington on Jan. 25, 2019 asks unvaccinated children 12 and younger to leave the facility.
Gillian Flaccus/AP Photos
A measles outbreak is causing major concern in a Washington county where only 22 percent of children are vaccinated against the disease. A vaccine expert explains the risks.
Many parents object to vaccination for religious reasons, while others may file for exemptions for convenience.
Africa Studios/Shutterstock.com
Recent measles outbreaks show the dangers of not vaccinating – and the importance of vaccination. Is there a way to accommodate those religiously opposed to vaccination and minimize other exemptions?
People may unknowingly bring measles back from other countries, including Europe.
Matej Kastelic/Shutterstock
We’ve had the measles vaccine in Australia since 1968, but a two-dose program was only introduced in 1992. And if you haven’t had the second dose, you’re at risk of contracting measles.
The unpopular badger cull has had only ‘modest’ success in reducing bovine TB, according to a recent report. What would an alternative approach that was effective and humane look like?
Rubella has been eliminated in Australia, but it still exists in other countries.
From shutterstock.com
Thanks to successful vaccination programs, Australia has just been declared free of rubella. Continued vigilance is important to make sure it doesn’t come back.
A nurse in Atlanta reaches for a vial of vaccine to prepare for an injection.
David Goldman/AP Photo
The flu shot is most effective if you receive it by the end of October. With 80,000 deaths from flu during last year’s flu season, a doctor explains why you should act now.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand