Blog Feed

There is so much focus on the coronavirus right now and I want to switch this blog post up a bit! There are other outbreaks and cases of organisms in the world right now, one of them being monkey pox. This outbreak in particular seemed interesting to me because I have never heard of it before! I’ve heard of chicken pox and small pox but never monkey! I am interested to learn and share about this disease and outbreak through this blog to bring more awareness! According to the CDC, at the end of 2019 there was an outbreak of monkey pox in Nigeria. These cases were seen in travelers that were coming from Nigeria and displaying signs. The CDC recommends that travelers avoid the sick, wash their hands often, and avoid wild animals. This is because the virus can be carried in infected animals and transmit to humans through bites, scratches, or even animal products being touched.

Monkey pox can spread from person to person as well. The sores on the person and bodily fluids are infectious. Coughing, sneezing, and talking are also ways that the virus is transmitted. Earlier this year, The World Health Organization published some more information about monkey pox. They say that this disease is similar to smallpox, but with less severe outcomes. This disease is primarily found in Central and West Africa and about one tenth of the people who contract the disease will die. It has been seen that younger children are more susceptible to fatality from this illness. The incubation time for monkey pox can be from 5 to 21 days and after this time the individual will start to be showing symptoms. If one has monkey pox they will typically display swollen lymph nodes, fever, asthenia, and muscle aches as the first symptoms. These few symptoms last for a few days usually. After these first couple of days of symptoms, there will be skin eruptions characteristic of monkey pox. These eruptions can take shape in many ways from pustules to vesicles to papules or macules. These eruptions will then be scabbed over after.

Although there are different ways to help treat the symptoms of monkey pox, there is no treatment that directly treats the virus. Researchers are working to find a treatment for it though. The key to trying to prevent more cases it proper preventative methods as mentioned above through washing hands, avoiding wild animals and their products, and more. Due to the fact that smallpox is so similar, the smallpox vaccine helps decrease the rate of infection for monkey pox, but that is no longer a vaccination that is available to people, so there is no vaccine immunity for monkey pox either. As you can see, monkey pox, although not as big of an outbreak as the coronavirus by far, is still an outbreak that is occurring in the world today. It is important to take cautionary methods when travelling to places like Nigeria that have monkey pox, or travelling anywhere for that matter, so you know what diseases to try to prepare for and prevent. Thank you so much for reading my blog and stay safe and healthy everyone!!

Hello Everyone! Today I am going to be discussing the drug adalimumab also known as Humira which is manufactured by the drug company AbbVie. This is a monoclonal antibody drug used to treat a few different medical conditions including rheumatoid arthritis. Monoclonal antibodies according to medicine.net are man-made antibodies that help stop different proteins from attacking your own immune system, and therefore are used for autoimmune disorders. These antibodies are made from cloned immune cells introduced to the same antigen. These monoclonal antibodies attack against one particular antigen by binding onto the same epitope. The purpose of adalimumab is to reduce the signs and symptoms of various diseases caused by autoimmune impairment. Humira reduces rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, and chronic plaque psoriasis, among other diseases. Humira is intended to help people function in their daily lives better.

Adalimumab works to reduce inflammation in different cases like arthritis and Crohn’s disease because the constant inflammation causes deterioration of the joints and colon in these diseases. This causes the individual suffering with these types of diseases a lot of pain and discomfort. Tumor necrosis factor is one of the key triggers of inflammation in these diseases. Adalimumab works by binding to tumor necrosis factor alpha and this way it cannot cause the inflammatory response which reduces inflammation, destruction of the joints, colon, or whichever part of the body is displaying the symptoms, and pain for the individual. As like many other drugs, there are also side effects…. and a lot of them! I’m going to list them all out for you and to make it more bearable and less scary, imagine I’m playing you a happy song with cute puppies on the screen like these drug commercials do! Alright here they are:

-Cancer (what a way to start out am i right?)  

-Serious infection

-Hepatitis B infection if you are a carrier

-Allergic reactions

-Nervous system problems (numbness, tingling, weakness, dizziness)

-Blood Problems (bruising and bleeding easily, paleness, fever)

-Heart failure

-Immune reactions (similar to lupus symptoms)

-Liver problems

-Psoriasis

-Injection site reactions

-Upper respiratory tract infections

-headaches

-rash

-nausea

-Infection symptoms (i.e. fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, cough, shortness of breath, blood in phlegm, weight loss, diarrhea or stomach pain, sores on body, burning urination, frequent urination, fatigue)

OKAY! that was a lot!! Those side effects are scary, especially because some of the more serious ones can lead to death. These side effects make sense though because Humira causes a decrease in inflammation due to new antibodies. If the immune system is compromised like this to some capacity, this can allow for development of these serious problems and infections because the immune system won’t be able to respond as well. You are more susceptible to disease while taking this drug and you cannot use Humira if you have another infection like tuberculosis because your immune system won’t be able to respond to the infection as efficiently, and this could be dangerous. Due to the fact that Humira stops inflammation, which is a key response to infections, you will not be able to recover efficiently like you would with a non-compromised immune system. Through Humira, the innate immune system is getting impacted negatively. This is because the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a part of the innate immune system because it causes inflammation and the drug causes a negative response because it works to inhibit the TNF so that there is not as much of an inflammatory response.

Alright, that is it folks! I think we are all collectively scared of how serious side effects for drugs can be, but nonetheless, thank you for staying with me through this talk about Humira! I will see you in my next blog post!

Hello again everyone! Okay, so I know we have been talking about Covid-19 a lot recently because it is a pandemic and all over the headlines. I feel like every time I open up the news I see so many articles about Covid-19 and new information regarding it coming out. It is very important that there is a focus on Covid-19 and that research right now and I am glad that there is some progress being made. But, I must say, I am reminded of the virus everyday just by being stuck in my house! It is not the best feeling having this isolation and then seeing all the bad news about new cases and deaths every time I read the news. It is important to get some distance from it all and realize that there are other things happening in the world including other outbreaks of different diseases. So today, I am going to discuss a little about the yellow fever outbreak in the Republic of South Sudan.

I did some research about yellow fever in South Sudan using information from The World Health Organization. They said that there has been some outbreaks of yellow fever in the past in this area, the last one being in 2018. As of March of this year, there were only two confirmed cases of yellow fever in South Sudan but there were more in neighboring countries and there is a large population of the mosquito species that carry the virus that live in that area. Although there are only two cases, the health officials have to be proactive so that the disease does not spread further infecting and potentially killing people in South Sudan. There has been a plan to do another vaccination campaign for yellow fever like what has been done in the past to protect people from the disease. It is important to monitor this situation and be proactive so that there is not a big outbreak, especially because there will be more mosquitoes in the coming months and interaction between people who are in areas with higher infection rates.

According to the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers, they have made it mandatory for all people travelling to South Sudan to receive the Yellow Fever vaccine. Not only is this vaccine important to keep travelers safe from the illness, but it is also important that as many people as possible are vaccinated in that area to reduce transmission between people, locals and travelers alike. When vaccinated you will also get a certificate saying that you have been vaccinated so that the authorities know you have immunity to the virus now. This Yellow Fever outbreak prevention that is happening in South Sudan is important because there still needs to be a focus on and resources for other diseases in the world. Just because Covid-19 has had a big impact on the world, doesn’t mean that all the other diseases are eradicated. I think a lot is happening in the world outside of Covid-19 from yellow fever in South Sudan to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is important, in my opinion, to not forget about these other diseases and to continue to supply them with funding and resources so that the prevalence of these diseases can continue to decrease.

Thanks for reading and I’ll try to keep you guys updated about all the health news regarding Covid-19 and other diseases in the world right now. See you next time!

Hey what’s up everyone! This week’s blog is going to be another one about Covid-19. More specifically, the antibody response for it. I will try to explain some throughout and make it more understandable, because this stuff can be a bit confusing! I will also explain the importance of what the antibody response means and what testing for it can do to help the situation. Keep in mind that scientists are still researching Covid-19 and the antibody responses and possible antivirals and vaccines, so this information could very well change! Alright, now let’s get started!

So first, I am going to give a basic rundown of what antibodies are and what all the letters and numbers you’ll see mean! So an antibody is a protein that B-Cells make and they are produced to help combat antigens (like viruses) that enter the body. They do this by binding to the antigen and covering the receptors so it can’t bind or get into host cells like it wants to. Antibodies also call in other immune system cells and responses like macrophages so that the antigen gets destroyed. According to medicine.net, there are many different kind of antibodies that have different purposes. IgM antibodies are the first responders to an infection. So, if you only have IgM antibodies, it is most likely that you have recently been infected with the virus. IgG antibodies are made after the infection has set in and the IgM have done a lot of work. So if you have both IgM and IgG it most likely means that you have the infection and have had it for a while. If you are IgG positive and only have the IgG antibodies, then it means that you have had the virus in the past, but you currently do not anymore, and therefore are not contagious anymore. But, especially with Covid-19, many doctors suggest waiting even longer after symptoms go away and you have recovered from Covid-19 as a precaution before you are in contact with other people.

Another test that is being used for Covid-19 is a viral genome test. This type of test detects if you have viral RNA in any nasal/oral places. If viral RNA for the coronavirus is detected that means you are currently infected with Covid-19 and therefore, contagious to others. This type of test is different than the antibody test because the antibody test is able to tell you if you’ve had it in the past and recovered from it. Another source that stresses the importance of the antibody response to Covid-19 and how we can use this is pbs.org. They say that not only is it important to have these antibody tests to know the amount of people that had the disease asymptomatically so that we can have better statistics for things like the fatality rate of the disease, but also to help people who currently have it. In a few states, blood plasma is taken from people who have had Covid-19 and have recovered and injecting it into patients who are critically ill. There is currently no vaccine or antiviral for Covid-19 so this is the best bet to help some critically ill patients at the moment by giving them the antibodies they need to help stop the virus from continuing to infect host cells.

I believe that having these statistics is very important, especially in the long run when scientists look at immunity and how long that lasts, especially if another wave of the virus hits at a later time before a vaccine is created. I also think it is great that they are doing the plasma transfer and that it is helping some critically ill patients, especially when they don’t have anything else to turn to. I encourage anyone who is recovered and able to check with their health care provider and see if they can donate plasma or if there is anything else they can do to help the scientists and health care workers. That is it for this weeks blog! I hope you learned some new stuff today and remember to keep social distancing, washing your hands, and not touching your face!! We’re all in this together and we can get through it, I’m sending you all my good vibes and hope that you all are staying safe and healthy! see you next time.

What is up! I’m back quicker than you thought, that is because I am here to talk about the coronavirus ~said in Cardi B’s voice~ I know I said I wouldn’t talk about it for a minute because it is a depressing topic right now living in a pandemic, but I want to discuss a little about what researchers and health care professionals are looking at when it comes to a vaccine or antiviral to treat the coronavirus. This is a completely new virus so we are starting from square one when it comes to developing a treatment option, which is very scary when that is the number one thing that people need right now.

Healthline says that in cases like this when they do not have any vaccine or antiviral for a virus that they try to see if any other antiviral medication can be at least somewhat effective. Originally, the FDA declared emergency use of two malaria anti-viral drugs, but since then many credible organizations and sources have said it is not effective against Covid-19. Many companies are already starting to develop and test antivirals for Covid-19. Vaccines are also being researched and usually vaccines take around a year to be developed. Some of the antivirals that are already available for other viruses that have a potential for being used for Covid-19 are Remdesivir (proved successful with MERS), Kaletra (that treat HIV), and a few more. Right now, everything is in the beginning stages so we will have to wait for the results of the different trials!

According to clinicaltrialarena.com in China they have already approved the use of the antiviral Favilavir after putting it through a trial and having it be mostly effective. Many other companies like Roivant Sciences are producing antivirals right now that they hope will be effective in decreasing the mortality rate of already infected patients. There is a whole list of drugs and vaccines given on this website that are being produced and tested to treat Covid-19. Right now, there isn’t any definite answer to what the most effective antiviral drug will be and how fast they will find and make it, but they have to go through the proper route so that it is the safest option possible. I admire all the healthcare workers for being amazing and taking care of everyone through this difficult time. I also am thankful for the amazing work researchers are doing to help develop a vaccine and antiviral drugs so that we will be safe.

That is it for this week’s (extra credit) blog post! Thank you for reading and please stay safe and social distance!!!!!!!

Did you like my rhyme? I tried, I never said I was a good rapper, or creative at all for that matter! Welcome back to my blog, we are going to diverge from all the depressing news about the coronavirus and talk about another depressing topic, cancer. I know, this is not the light-hearted blog you wanted to read, BUT it is not all bad! Although scientists are still working on finding a cure for cancer, there is some promise in “personalized medicine.” What is personalized medicine you may be asking? Well, in this situation it is the use of T-cells and dendritic cells to treat cancer. The (possible) answer to beating cancer is your own immune system!

One of the best explanations (that I could actually understand) on how this personalized medicine actually works to treat cancer came from Cancer Health. They emphasized that there has been a lot of research in the field of treating cancer with your own immune system and that they are making progress on how to make this treatment more effective for all types of cancer. The main thing to understand is that cancer cells occur when our own body cells are mutated so that they grow and divide rapidly. As we know, our body’s immune system is always on the lookout for invaders and cells that have “gone bad.” So why doesn’t our own body kill off those bad cancerous cells before they begin to divide too much? because they have specific ways that they evade recognition by the immune system and have physical barriers that don’t let immune cells like T-cells or macrophages attack them. The key to treating cancer effectively would be for the immune system to actually recognize the dangerous cell.

Researchers have been trialing different ways to get the immune cells to recognize cancer with many ups and downs. They hope that presenting an antigen that is very abundant in cancerous cells to T-cells and dendritic cells will be like a vaccine. Each person with cancer has unique neoantigens that their cancer cells produce, so using them to present to the immune system is showing to be one of the most promising methods. News Atlas has recently posted an article saying that CAR T-Cell trials in cancer immunotherapy have been pretty successful. But, with this specific type of immunotherapy there are some downsides. For one the treatment is super expensive. There is also some health consequences as well, in some of the trials, there was a cytokine storm, in others there was a reduction of some types of blood cells.

Overall, we still have a long way to go to minimize side effect harm when treating cancer and find immunotherpay and personalized medicine that is the most effective. But, there does seem to be some real potential in this! To me, this way of treating cancer makes the most sense because that is what the immune system is for, to protect you!! So I am excited to see what method works best and if cancer will finally be cured!! Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you some more in my next post!

Hello folks. This is not what I thought I’d be writing about during this microbiology class, our very own pandemic. We learn about viruses in class and I know there is a lot of mutations and new viruses that occur but there has been nothing in a very long time that has affected people on a global level like Covid-19. School has been made to be online, trips are cancelled, internship and study abroad programs have been cancelled, and we are social distancing. People are stocking up on all their supplies, including toilet paper, which has run out in many stores. We are living in a history textbook right now and will be able to tell our children and grandchildren about what living during a pandemic is like. It is scary, ambiguous, and honestly, a little boring.

When the coronavirus first was getting on the news it was a very big deal in China and a few other Asian countries. I did not worry about it too much and just hoped the situation would get better over there. After only a couple of weeks, it was in Europe and the United States and was beginning to worry Americans a little bit, but I still wasn’t too concerned, I didn’t think that our schedules would be affected too much. Then, the number of cases started to rise in the US and colleges, including UNC, switched to online school as social distancing rules were put in place. All of a sudden my study abroad program for the summer was cancelled and so was my internship to Guatemala. I am still devastated by it. I’ve worked really hard to get the internship and was so excited for it and my study abroad program, I was hoping to come back at the end of summer with so much cultural immersion, health knowledge (both study abroad and internship were related to health), and improvement in my Spanish. I enjoy being in Chapel Hill too, seeing my friends and people in my clubs, and being able to do the activities I love like volunteering at the hospital. It just turned my whole academic and professional world upside down and I am still trying to figure out how to cope.

Although I am sad that I am missing out on the stuff I have done and have planned for, I know that everyone else is in the same boat and I hope it will somehow workout for all of us in the end. The health of our loved ones and neighbors is more important than anything. I am washing my hands, social distancing, and following all the precautions that the CDC and WHO have sent out. But it is very difficult because staying in your house can be so boring! I love my family but it is really hard not to be able to hang out with my friends. Usually when I am home I go out to lunch or coffee with them, we go on hikes, or we just hang at each others’ houses. Not being able to do any of this honestly sucks, especially when we don’t know when we will be able to again. I think the uncertainty of this whole situation is the worst part. The uncertainty of when all of this will end, the uncertainty of how your day will go, the uncertainty of who will be affected by the virus. I’m glad that I am able to have a supporting household who can provide for me during this time but it makes me so sad to know that many people do not have this, especially because many jobs are being lost right now.

This whole pandemic has turned the world on its head. Although it is a difficult situation for everyone in many different ways, by being alone in our houses, we are actually all working together to help stop the spread of the disease. This sense of community is what keeps me and many others going through this dark time in history and helps bring light to it.

I know this was a very somber post, especially compared to all my previous ones, but although it is a challenging time, we still need to laugh and enjoy life! So here are a few memes to help cheer everyone up!

Ah, Syphilis. The OG STD. Yes, that is what I said, syphilis! In this week’s blog I will be talking about the STD syphilis including the epidemiology of it and the history behind it—because it goes back a longggg way. Syphilis was super prevalent back in the day, like the 14oos, and it stayed relevant for so long and when penicillin was discovered it was able to be treated. Only recently, has syphilis started to increase more significantly in the number of cases. Keep reading to know more about why and how you can prevent it!

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, in 2018 almost 86% of the cases of syphilis were in men. A huge factor that plays into this huge percentage and the rise of syphilis as a whole, is men having sex with men. The number of cases of syphilis have also been increasing among women who are heterosexual in the last 4 years. This is in part due to the disease being spread through injected drugs or these women having sex with partners who have gotten syphilis through non-sterile injection of drugs. The symptoms of syphilis are different in the different stages of the disease and whether it is treated or not. First, there will be an ulcer at the site of contact usually on the genitals. There will then usually be a fever and body rash which will appear on the soles of the feet and palms of the hand especially. If left untreated, syphilis can go into the CNS and cause serious infection and consequences such as meningitis and seizures. After many years of infection without treatment, syphilis can severely affect the cardiovascular system and cause many problems with heart function.

As you can see so far, syphilis is no joke and can seriously cause damage to your organs if you don’t treat it, so please get tested for STDs people…it may not be “just a normal rash” yikes! So now that you know that syphilis is super bad and that you definitely do not want it, how do you prevent it? Well, syphilis is caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. When someone is infected with this bacteria and then has sexual contact with another human this is a perfect way to give them the infection too, which is NOT good. The South Australian Government’s Health website recommends firstly, that anyone who has syphilis not have sexual relations with anyone for AT LEAST one week after they end treatment and once wounds are healed completely. Make sure that once you are treated you keep getting blood tests to make sure it is fully gone and everyone should get tested regularly for STDs too!

So after reading this blog–do you feel the burn? if you answered yes, drop everything and go get tested please!!!!!!!!! It is very important to practice safe sex and keep these preventative methods in mind. You don’t want to have STDs like syphilis and your partner for sure does not want to be given them either. Especially with the rise in the number of syphilis cases and the effects it can have on you, it is better to be safe than sorry! Use protection, get tested, and do not have sex if you have an STD! Alright, now that you have heard my lecture, here are the memes!! see you next week!

Welcome to the apocalypse friends, and no not the zombie apocalypse (although that would be a lot cooler). Today, I will be discussing the antibiotic apocalypse aka the rise of antibiotic resistance. This is a scary time in science right now because in just a number of years, we could go from being able to treat mild bacterial infections to having them kill us and our loved ones. I don’t know about you guys, but I want to know more about this threat to our health and so I’m gonna give you all the rundown right now, let’s jump in!

Let’s go over the basics before we go into more detail. According to my trusty source the CDC, some bacteria have antibiotic-resistant mechanisms that help them survive when other bacteria die from antibiotics. These antibiotic-resistance bacteria can multiply and spread their resistance genes to other bacteria. These microorganisms are able to spread between people and animals leading to increased number of these resistant organisms in a number of people. In a world of globalization, this makes the spread of these bacteria that much easier. There is a rapidly increasing number of organisms becoming resistant in the world due to these antibiotic resistant genes being spread. Antibiotics are life saving drugs and if bacteria become completely resistant to them, they will not be able to do their job anymore and people will start dying of seemingly little bacterial infections. An example of how a bacteria becomes antibiotic resistant is given by the CDC with E. coli. If the E. Coli has the mcr-1 gene, then they can make it so that colistin (the antibiotic) cannot attach to the outside cell wall.

According to the organization Animals Australia, superbugs are defined as “bacteria that have become resistant to more than one antibiotic.” This poses a huge threat to the basic health of humans because if bacteria become resistant to even our most powerful antibiotics, then we are going to be going back into the “dark ages of medicine” as former UK prime minister David Cameron said. This article also discusses antibiotic use in the animal agriculture industry. The animal agriculture industry uses antibiotics as a “preventative” measure so that the animals they are raising do not get sick since they are all closely packed together in confined pens. They are also used as growth promoters for the animals. This abuse of antibiotics in animals is a huge contributor to the growth and spread of antibiotic resistant genes and bacteria. According to another article by the CDC (if you can’t tell I really like them haha), there is no federal set and approved definition of “antibiotic-free” meat. The clearest is can be defined is as the meat not having residue of antibiotics in them, but even with this, they can still carry and spread antibiotic resistant bacteria. This is super messed up in my opinion because people don’t know that they are eating and spreading resistant bacteria. I feel that there should be more regulation when it comes to the use of antibiotic drugs in the animal industry because they are a major contributor to the problem.

It is easy to turn a blind eye to these problems and say “the scientists will figure it out, we’ll be fine” but everyone needs to do their best to not abuse antibiotics and realize that this is a growing problem. There has not been any major antibiotic discoveries in years according to Animals Australia’s article and this further emphasizes the severity of the situation. It is crazy to think that in a short amount of time, we could be dealing with the impact of this antibiotic apocalypse. Let’s hope we can find a solution in time.

So that was pretty heavy and scary, I hope you guys aren’t freaking out too much (although I understand if you are because I am too!) As is customary, I am going to have some memes below to raise your spirits a little! See you next week!!

Hey friends! Welcome to this week’s blog on ~polio!~ The question in the title and what you all may be asking is “where is polio? Wasn’t that a 20th century disease?” The answer is yes and no. Polio was super prevalent back in the day but after vaccinations were developed and given to people, polio has been pretty much eradicated…except for in some places who don’t have high vaccination rates. In this blog we will be looking into Pakistan, one of the few places where polio is still prevalent, and see some of the reasons behind this. We will also look into the difference between OPV and IPV when it comes to the polio vaccine. Alright, without further ado (going along with my Shakespeare theme), let’s jump right in!

So basically, there are two types of polio vaccines. One is the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and the other is the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). According to the research done on these polio vaccines, the OPV is made of attenuated strains of the polio virus which is good for building up immunity, but in some cases can lead to the strain becoming harmful again if it is shed and contracted by others. The IPV also has a negative side to it because it is an inactivated form of the polio virus. This means that although the virus is not active, the genome is still there, and this leads people to fear that having large amounts of the virus in vaccines, could be a risk to bio security. Which is scary, because I don’t want anyone messing with the virus or doing harm with it intentionally or not. After the research article states these problems with the current vaccines, they further emphasize the need to make a vaccine that isn’t going to have these adverse effects and that is more cost effective. Research, like the kind that was done in this article, is finding new ways to create a polio vaccine that is safer and cheaper in the long run, especially once polio becomes completely eradicated.

I know that was pretty scary information and science heavy as well, but it is important to know and be educated on it. It is also important to note that there are huge cultural ties when it comes to aversion of the polio vaccine. Specifically in Pakistan, Foreign Policy reports that there are still many cases of polio due to a lack of trust in the vaccine and the people who give them. Many communities in Pakistan have refused to vaccinate their children with the polio vaccine due to beliefs that they will be harmed or sterilized and that this is all orchestrated by the western governments. Honestly, I know this is not a political blog so I won’t say anything too political, but after US intervention in many foreign affairs, I would feel slightly on edge too! This doubt and fear that prevents the Pakistani from getting their children vaccinated is deadly though and needs to be addressed. This has been happening through women of Pakistan and leaders of religious groups coming together to debunk anything that might be holding people back. They want to emphasize that it is safe and okay religiously to get this vaccination and in fact, it can save their children’s lives.

The polio vaccines have proven to be something that needs improvement and that it is important to do so as soon as possible, especially as we near eradication. We still however, are in a time where we need to continue to work to make sure that everyone is protected against polio with what we have available now. Although there are major cultural obstacles that lay in this path, I hope that through the religious leaders and women in the community bringing awareness, that all the children in that area and around the world can be protected. Like I mentioned in my other blogs, I feel strongly that all people who are able should get vaccinated and this is a prime example. Almost all of the rest of the world is polio free due to vaccinations, and the area where there is polio, there is a lack of vaccinations. The health care workers have to be mindful and respectful of cultural wishes, but also emphasize the importance of vaccines, which they are constantly fighting for.

Alright, there you have it, all the recent information on polio and the OPV and IPV. I only skimmed the surface of these topics so please feel free to do the topic more justice and research it some more! Remember, we are still fighting polio today and will keep fighting until it is totally gone, so stay invested in this, it is not just a 20th century disease!! I’ll talk to you guys next week–stay tuned!