Vaccine hesitancy has resulted in multiple vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. Research on vaccine hesitancy in South Africa is limited. But growing evidence suggests that it's becoming a problem.
There's no guarantee future COVID-19 vaccines will work in the elderly. So we can consider vaccinating the young first to protect them. Here's what we need to work out first.
Whether a coronavirus vaccine involves a live virus or a carrier organism, it will probably require more than one injection. But that's not a bad thing.
If your immunisation record is incomplete, you might repeat a vaccination unnecessarily, or miss out on government support, child care, or work. So it pays to check.
Children at window of a building in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. Children will be vulnerable if vaccinations are postponed.
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Coronavirus drug trials are underway – a virologist explains what the treatment options may be.
An elderly man at a social grant paypoint in South Africa after the COVID-19 lockdown. (Photo by MARCO LONGARI / AFP) ()
Photo by Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images
South Africa must develop a comprehensive health and economic strategy if it is to stop the COVID-19 pandemic without causing long term socio-economic damage.
When you’re feeling sick, your immune system is fighting to get you well again.
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The white blood cells act as an army of fighting cells, protecting your body from bad cells known as germs. White blood cells can capture germs and even swallow them.
A health worker administers the Ebola vaccine.
EPA-EFE
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 are three types of flu vaccine available in Australia.
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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.
People may unknowingly bring measles back from other countries, including Europe.
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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.
Rubella has been eliminated in Australia, but it still exists in other countries.
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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.
International outbreaks of the almost-forgotten disease diphtheria and pockets of low immunisation coverage put Australians at risk of catching the disease.
The flu shot is free for at-risk groups, and available to others for around $10-$25.
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Kanta Subbarao, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
While not perfect, the seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to protect against influenza. There are a few changes to the flu vaccine and what is available this year. Here's what you need to know.
Young children catch and spread the flu more than any other age group.
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The flu vaccine isn't perfect but it's the best way to protect against these potentially harmful viruses. Most children aged six months to five years are eligible for a free vaccine in 2018.
Staff Specialist Paediatrician, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance; Clinical Lecturer, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney