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Coping with Obesity….Battle With the Bulge

By Richa Mina on December 21, 2017

Coping with obesity

Obesity nowadays, gets a lot of attention due to the many resultant , medical issues .Rarely do we think about the mental status and emotional upheaval an overweight person goes through in their struggle with yo- yoing weight.

Like many other super busy females , my diet and lifestyle was a total mess.I was actually one of those who are on the verge to topple over to the wrong side…I was Obese(that’s actually an impolite word for fat).

coping with obesity — Richa before the battle

The self delusions

I’m plump not fat ! But that’s a version I had created to make myself temporarily happy 😉 .But the constant inner struggle with the weight issue was taking over my life.

2 years back I decided enough was enough! It was time to put my foot firmly down and “Battle the Bulge”

Slow And Steady..

So as a new perspective to the topic I’d like to emphasize that “slow and steady does win the race” . No one changes drastically (except film stars, and they get paid for that) so just keep steady and continue your journey from being PLUMP to “oh wow”.

You’ll find loads of sites telling you how to loose weight, easy way hard way. 5 minute workout,15 minute workout but please don’t fall for capsules, powders, fad diets. They are harmful and they almost never helps in loosing weight but are definitely good way to lose money.

I’m sorry to tell you this but there’s only one way to succeed and it’s always the long way.What works for one may not for another.That is the crux of the problem, and also the solution.

Solutions

I needed diet and exercise personalised to suite my lifestyle, body type and emotional makeup.Anything drastic often worked only in the short time.

Well, I tried yoga, but sitting on mat and meditating was not my style .Though “suryanamaskar” 10-20 times/day helped my sister. It took her just 3 months for noticeable loss in inches.

Through my series of blog posts I will take you along with me on my “battle with the bulge”! Personally I took on walking but the progress was depressingly slow.I nearly gave up on it , when one fine day my friend commented that I was toning up! That made my day.

To cut it short, I’m not here to tell you how to loose weight as you can find many healthy recipes, exercises, and yoga on the Internet. I’ll tell you how to cope with all this, when you are still plump.

I am going to be your girlfriend who will be your weight loss BFF. I will hold your hand when you lack motivation.High five you when you achieve your goals and be with you in your journey every step of the way.

Quick tips to help you along:

Wear clothes that are of your size .Loose c, ill-fitting clothes make you look fatter and unfashionable.
First of all “Don’t give up”….. ever .Continue the efforts because it really shows.
Use jazzy accessories as a focal point to drag attention away from waist .Necklaces preferably longer ones, dangling earrings & lots of bangles. Do flaunt them outrageously.
Broader and wider neckline, cowl neck, deep V necked,and deep back they all helps. High necks are big NO NO…
A good hairstyle helps; please don’t hold on to old hairstyle ,if it’s not doing anything for you.Nothing can make you more noticeable than a drastic change” so go ahead get a highlight, or shorter hairstyle, straightening anything that suits you.
Always carry a big bag. Your bag should be proportionate to your body; a smaller and snug bag will make you look bulkier.
If you are confident then short clothes like snug skirts or shorts just till or above the knee will make you slimmer and taller.
Be confident and carry yourself with grace.You are unique and gorgeous in your own unique way.Confident style improves your stature and outlook of people towards you.
Most important tip of all click cute pictures.

Here are few tips: always find someone bulkier than you to click picture with.

Hide behind something or anything? Hold your baby in front or a cushion & even your bag it’ll do the trick.

Take picture from above so that the lower half of body’s out of focus…. Believe me nothing’s more encouraging than 50 likes on Facebook.

Coping with obesity .tips tricks — fighting the battle ….and winning

Though these ideas will not to help you lose weight, but they’ll help you ,while you are loosing few pounds and encourage you to do more…. Keep it up.

Get Gorgeous and stay gorgeous….

You can check some tips for a healthy lifestyle HERE

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Ebola virus …protect yourself

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on December 21, 2017

What is Ebola virus and why the scare?

(This post has been updated following new breakthrough in prevention of Ebola virus infection)

Ebola is a RNA. virus belonging to the filoviridae group.Marburg is the other virus belonging to this group which causes a similar disease but is antigenically distinct. Ebola causes Haemorrhagic fever.

Ebola virus Infection.Image courtesy sscreations at Freedigitalphotos.net

It has 4 distinct family member all of which are of African origin . Ebola is a category 4 pathogen , due to its high associated mortality and potential for aerosol spread. No aerosol spread of Ebola has been documented in the current epidemic . There has been more than 20 Haemorrhagic fever outbreaks due to these 2 viruses but none has documented transmission before patient is symptomatic. Zaire Ebola virus is responsible for the 2014 West Africa outbreak. Experts opine that the current epidemic , occurred mainly due to lack of personal protection and absence of universal barrier nursing care .2 things which are unfortunately often the cause behind epidemics in developing countries.

Ebola virus Infection can cause Epidemics.Image courtesy Stuart Miles at Freedigitalphotos.net

Current status Ebola

As per data available with CDC the total number of laboratory confirmed cases (till 7th December 2014) is 11288.Of these the total number of deaths reported is 6388.This outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever is the worst documented epidemic in West Africa in recent history.Grim stats no doubt but protection is possible.Knowledge like always is power if applied properly.

Who can spread Ebola?

Bats are reservoirs with transmission from bats to other wild animals and humans

Symptomatic cases are contagious.
Incubation period 7 to 10days ( range 3 to days)

Symptoms:fever, severe headache, malaise , myalgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,chest pain, cough.
Bleeding may begin about days later from. any mucosal site and into the skin.

Ebola virus infection.Image courtesy kjnnt at Freedigitalphotos.net

Even when patient is declared cured virus may persist in semen and some other body fluids for several weeks.

How is Ebola virus spread?

Direct contact of mucous membrane, cut skin with:

Blood products of Ebola cases
Body fluids like sweat, saliva vomit, urine, faeces, semen of Ebola cases
Needles, syringes etc contaminated with blood , body fluids of Ebola cases.

How does Ebola virus spread

Meat of infected animals
Viral load increases with severity of illness of patients.

Ebola virus is a Biosafety level 4 pathogen as it is associated with high fatality rate and potential for aerosol infectivity. However generally sick patients rarely generate sufficient amount of aerosols to pose a significant hazard. But large droplets ( in the form of splashes or sprays) may cause potential hazard to exposed mucosa.Thus personal protective equipment for all healthcare workers is the best way to control spread.

Who needs protection?

High Risk Exposure:

Risk of Ebola virus Infection .Image courtesy Stuart Miles at Freedigitalphotos.net

All family members in direct contact with symptomatic cases.
All care givers of symptomatic cases.
Healthcare workers exposed to Ebola cases .
Travellers travelling to region with Ebola cases.
All staff responsible for waste disposal of Ebola cases.All high risk

All high risk exposure cases need to be monitored, together with restriction of travel and general public activity.

How to protect yourself?

Ebola virus infection prevention.Image courtesy Stuart Miles at Freedigitalphotos.net

Ebola virus is said to be inactivated by heat at about 60 degree celsius.It is also sensitive to household bleach etc.Personal protective equipment is essential for protection in a healthcare setup.Important guidelines to ensure your safety includes:
Wash hands, use hand sanitizer
Use household bleach , disinfectants on surfaces contaminated with blood, body fluids
Use personal protective gear/ equipments if you are working in a healthcare setup / caring for patients with Ebola virus disease
Dispose of used contaminated,needles, bedding, clothing in a hygienic manner.
Do inform appropriate health care authority in case ,you are returning from travel in country with known outbreak of Ebola cases and running fever or any other symptoms of Ebola within 21 days of return.
Inform appropriate healthcare authority in case you have been in direct ,unprotected contact with any patient of Ebola.

Diagnosis

Real Time PCR
Antigen detection by ELISA
Virus isolation
immunohistochemistry and HPE
Serology for IgM and IgG antibodies (only in confirmed cases)

Treatment

Supportive care is the mainstay of treatment
Maintenance of fluid, electrolyte levels and acid -base balance
Monitoring vital parameters
Management of Shock and other complications when they appear

Human convalescent serum is a potential mode of treatment which is currently under evaluation by WHO.There exists no vaccine , antivirus drug ,immune mediated or any other definitive treatment for the Ebola virus.

Update on Ebola Virus management

A ray of hope .Prevention of Infection during epidemics of Ebola virus is under investigation. A rVSV -vectored ebola vaccine which is expressing the Ebola surface glycoprotein is being .

Initial results indicate that the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine will be highly efficient in preventing Ebola virus disease.

It’s safety profile isgood.It is most likely be given to the population at risk by a ring vaccination strategy during Ebola outbreaks.

Hope, Pray and Prevent …. take home message

As always PREVENTION is better than cure.Extensive healthcare support provided by Doctors without borders and WHO has been possible due to strict adherence of these basic guidelines. Humane behaviour ,care towards those affected together with your own personal protection will help in fighting this fatal disease destroying Africa , with potential to destroy the world. Case fatality rate is as high as 50%to 70 % in the current epidemic.Significantly this rate is much lower when there is a good healthcare setup with intensive care facilities. Strict isolation and management of index cases is the best way to combat the disease when it appears in new territories. Training of airport staff who are screening travellers and exhaustive isolation and treatment protocols should be in place for all facilities responsible for taking care of cases and suspected cases. Above all Personal protective gear and training should be provided for all healthcare workers faced with the responsibility of caring for the sick. Unnecessary public hysteria , panic and social shunning of those suspected of this disease in other parts of the world will only help to spread the disease beyond its natural habitat. Stay informed, avoid panic and take care, the rest is God’s Will!

References

Harrison Internal Medicine

www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/

Disclaimer:The purpose of this article is strictly for educational interest and is not meant as a replacement for professional opinion.

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Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine in India

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on December 21, 2017

Japanese encephalitis: problem in India

Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito-borne viral encephalitis.It is endemic in many regions of India.

The virus is particularly common in areas where rice cultivation occurs.

The irrigated rice fields attract the natural avian vertebrate hosts.They are breeding sites for mosquitoes such as Culex tritaeniorhyncus.

The mosquito which carries the Japanese Encephalitis virus

Culex tritaeniorhyncus

How does the disease spread?

Mosquitoes transmit the virus to humans. Humans get the disease.But humans don’t transmit the infection. Pigs and horses are amplifier hosts (that is the virus multiplies in their bodies ).

So vaccination of these additional amplifier hosts may definitely reduce virus transmission.

When does Japanese encephalitis occur?

In India, Japanese encephalitis outbreaks have been reported in most states and Union territories.

It occurs throughout the year.Significantly highest incidences occur during monsoon and post-monsoon period.

Who are most likely to get Japanese encephalitis?

In endemic areas unvaccinated children are most often affected.

But travelers of all ages may also be affected.

Statistics which give you a better perspective

Most human cases of JE (Japanese encephalitis) may be asymptomatic. Overt encephalitis may occur in 1 of 20-1000 cases.

However, the encephalitis when it occurs is severe.

Fatality being as high as 25%.

Significantly children constitute an unfortunately high percentage of the fatalities.

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there occurs at least 50,000, reported fatal cases in Asia every year.

Of this at least, 10,000 are children.

Serious neuropsychiatric sequelae may be observed in the encephalitis survivors in up to 30% cases.

Out of many causes of encephalitis, JE is the most significant one which is vaccine preventable.

How can JE be Prevented?

Public health campaigns to raise awareness
Surveillance for cases of encephalitis
Vector(mosquito) control
Vaccination.

Who needs Japanese encephalitis vaccine

Children and adults in endemic , epidemic zones
Travellers to endemic zones
A spending month or longer in endemic area during the transmission season.
Amplifier host vaccination( Pigs, horses)

Vaccination in India

1)Live stable, neuro attenuated strain of cell culture derived SA-14-14-2 vaccine.

Recent Indian data on efficacy /effectiveness suggests the need for two doses of vaccines for primary vaccination schedule.

Primary immunization

Children less than 3 years:

2 doses of 0.25 ml.1st dose at 9 months along with measles vaccine.

2nd dose at 16 or 18 months at the time of first DTP booster.

Children more than 3 years, adolescents, adults less than 50 years:2 doses of 0.5 ml on days 0 and 28.

Booster Doses

Long-term protective efficacy and requirement for boosters are still not fully determined

Adults have been recommended for a booster after 12 months.

2)Purified Japanese encephalitis Inactivated Vaccine(Human)

It contains the JEV strain 821564-XY in a purified and inactivated form.
Indicated above one year of age.

Composition

JEV strain 821564-XY in a purified and inactivated form.
Aluminium hydroxide gel
Thiomersal(preservative)
Phosphate Buffered solution

Site and route: Intramuscularly into deltoid of upper arm of adults

Children :anterolateral thigh

Primary vaccination dosage and schedule:

2 dose 0.5 ml each

First dose: Day 0

Second dose:28 days after the first dose

One dose offers >98% protection

You might need a booster:

when visiting an endemic area , with chance of re-exposure
more than one year has passed, since primary vaccination was given.

Possible Adverse effects of JE vaccine:

Fever
headache
myalgia
hypersensitivity reaction.

Contraindications of Japanese Encephalitis vaccine:

Patient with known or suspected hypersensitivity to vaccine components.
Severe allergic reaction after previous dose of vaccine.
A patient who has fever.

The Big picture on Japanese encephalitis vaccine

The risk of JE associated encephalitis, it’s resultant mortalities and serious morbidity is on one side.This is weighed against the relatively safe vaccine with few side effects.The balance of facts makes this vaccine a very important vehicle to fight the endemic nature of the disease in India.

There’s a need for public awareness and vector control measures.These are the backbone of effective prevention.Prevention, as usual, is the best policy.Stay informed, take charge and make an informed decision.

Is your home mosquito Free?

Let me know in the comments section below.

Reference:

VermaR.Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2012 Apr;8(4):491-3. doi: 10.4161/hv.18925. Epub 2012 Feb 28. Japanese encephalitis vaccine: need of the hour in endemic states
Best of Indian Pediatrics vol1. Devendra Mishra, Dheeraj Shah
Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine

Money saved……money earned

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on December 21, 2017

Money saved is yours to keep

Money saved is money earned

Money saved is ours to keep,rest belongs to the bank , shopkeeper. and all other places where we spend it.The more we earn , more we spend and our spending spirals out of control …we still end up waiting for next month’s paycheck!A very wise man (also known as Richest man of Babylon) once said seven tenth of all you earn is for you to spend on yourself and family, one tenth is for you to keep (your savings), and two tenth is for you to repay your debt (if you have any ), otherwise you can spend it or save it as you wish).Once this becomes a habit and every month your savings purse gets a little bit fatter, saving may not get easier but it will definitely make you happier .

Money=Happiness?

Having loads of money does not make anybody happy , but it does help. It’s definitely better to be rich and unhappy rather than poor and unhappy, best would be to become rich and happy! So if money does not guarantee happiness , what does? It would be presumptuous of me to pretend I know the answer to that particular question, but over the years I have realised what makes me happy.Choice to live life the way I want to…., play with my baby, travel , work,sleep..whatever.Living a full rich life depends a lot on financial freedom .When I have enough to meet all our expenses, travel whenever we want, save a bit , all of this without penny pinching ,that makes me happy!

Living a comfortable happy ,rich life takes 5 things:

Strong unrelenting Desire to get what you want
Good health(because health is wealth)
Optimistic attitude
Faith in oneself and the Almighty
Persistence

The fifth is perhaps more important ingredient for success than anything else.’ Pray to God but row for the shore!’All successful men have one quality in common and that’s Persistence.

So how does all this help our bank balance?

Desire to do well and live a rich life helps to forego all temptations ,which hinder our objective .
Healthy body and healthy mind keeps us in good spirits to pursue our goals . Health care expenses being what they are, savings from doctors bills should not be inconsiderable!
A positive spirit and faith both together helps in attracting positive energy which definitely helps you in your objective.
Persistence is my favourite quality and I believe it’s is my defining strength…It can help you move mountains, or it will definitely help you find a way to move it.

The Plan

Every month save one tenth of your income from all sources (if you don’t have a debt it should be three tenth) .
Determine your long term financial goals , how many years time you have and how much money to save.Calculate this on a per monthly savings goal and start a Recurring deposit with that amount.
If the amount is too high and you are not sure about meeting it monthly, then start a savings account with the objective of eventually turning it into a MODS account (Multi option deposit scheme, it is a combination of your debit or transactional account and deposit account.Benefit of MODS account is it gives the flexibility of a savings account with a higher interest rate of a deposit account.The downside is minor, one is the lock in period , (which determines the higher interest ),second is withdrawal permitted generally above a particular minimum balance.
Start a Public Provident Fund account if you don’t have one ..immediately.Details and benefits of this are immense . (a later post on this)
Start tracking your daily spending habits and stop the unnecessary money leaks.
Stop buying things for fun with credit cards….Credit cards are only for dire emergencies , when no other source (including family and friends are unavailable).One of the preventable source of money leaks are credit cards and even worse multiple credit cards.Optimize the debt on your credit cards (definitely a post on that soon)and try to use debit card or cash for daily expenses.I personally prefer cash as card money pinches less and we tend to Overspend!

Whatever you do stop procrastinating and start now.Open a Piggy bank savings account , save at least 100 rupees ( or as much more as you can)every day from your daily expenses and you will have an extra Thirty six thousand rupees every month just like that! Don’t think about the account , don’t withdraw from it and try to automate the deposit in this account from your salary account so that you have less reason to delay!Stop waiting to be rich , develop a wealthy mindset .

One life to live ..live it like a King!


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10 Reasons Why Being Social is Good for Your Mental Health

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on December 21, 2017

How social are you?

Next time hubby scolds you about kitty parties, you can guide him to this post.

There’s science backed facts to encourage positive social bonds.

With lives getting busier,families smaller a nurturing social life is even more a priority.

Social relationships are important.

#TRUTH 1

Quantity and quality of your company will affect:

Mental health
Health behavior
Physical health, and
Mortality risk.

Not convinced?

Did you know captors use social isolation to torture prisoners of war?

#TRUTH 2

Social isolation of healthy, well-functioning people can cause psychological & physical breakdown.

Even death!

#TRUTH 3

Adults who are socially connected are healthier and live longer .

That’s why parents ,relatives and grand parents need us even more when they grow older.

Socially useful relationships make life meaningful .

Image courtesy Aniruddha Das

Majority of research findings show :

(1) Social relationships have significant effects on health

(2) Social relationships affect health through behavioral, psychosocial, and physiological pathways.

(3) Relationships benefit health

(4) Relationships shape your health .

#TRUTH 4

Humans crave social integration.The quality of the relationship is also important .

It’s important that relationships give positive emotional support.

Poor quality social ties affect health.

It can impair immune functions,poor health and Mortality.

(Kiecolt-Glaser et al. 2002; Robles and Kiecolt-Glaser 2003).

Marriage is the most studied social tie.

#TRUTH 5

Marital relationship, affects cardiovascular disease, chronic conditions.

Berkman and Syme (1979)showed that the risk of death among men and women with the fewest social ties was more than twice as high as the risk for adults with the most social ties.

#TRUTH 6

Social ties decrease mortality risk among adults with documented medical conditions. Brummett and colleagues (2001) found that, among adults with coronary artery disease, the socially isolated had a risk of subsequent cardiac death 2.4 times greater than their more socially connected peers.

Conditions associated with poor social health:

Cardiovascular disease
Recurrent myocardial infarction
Atherosclerosis
Autonomic dysregulation
High blood pressure
Cancer and delayed cancer recovery Slower wound healing (Ertel, Glymour, and Berkman 2009; Everson-Rose and Lewis 2005; Robles and Kiecolt-Glaser 2003; Uchino 2006).

#TRUTH 7

Marriage is perhaps the most studied social tie. Recent work shows that marital history over the life course shapes a range of health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, chronic conditions, mobility limitations, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms (Hughes and Waite 2009;Zhang and Hayward 2006).

How relationships affect health?

#TRUTH 8

Three ways that social ties work to influence health:

Behavioral
Psychosocial and
Physiological.

Image courtesy Aniruddha Das

What are positive Health Behaviors?

Exercise
Nutritious diet,
Sticking to medical advice.
Practicing better mental health

What are negative health behaviours

Smoking
Excessive weight gain
Drug abuse
Heavy alcohol consumption
Lack of mental stimulation
Avoiding social interaction

We live with our spouses after being pampered by our parents.So spousal support and understanding goes a long way in giving you positive health.

#TRUTH 9

For children the home environment is their first chance of understanding social integration.

Children learn to be social from their environment

Unhappy marriage and parenthood have been associated with poor health behaviors .

Physical inactivity and weight gain are two negative effects of poor marital quality .

What is important is positive effect of any relationship.

If the effect of these ties are not positive. Then mental health is affected.

Mind and body are two sides of the same coin. They work together and act together. When your mind dreams your body does.

Both are actions.Just in their own way.

So positive health benefits from a relationship needs affects , mind and body .

What exactly does a poor marriage cause?

Compromised immune and endocrine function.

Depression (Kiecolt-Glaser and Newton 2001).

Sociological research shows that marital strain erodes physical health, and that the negative effect of marital strain on health becomes greater with advancing age (Umberson et al. 2006).

Nagasawa and colleagues (1990) found that negative social environments and their perceived barriers predicted poor compliance to medical regimens among diabetes patients.

What’s happening at office and school can also interfere with health.

Takeaway

Social relationships are important for physical , mental and psychological health .

Quality and Quantity of relationships are both important .

Peer pressure,religious clans are examples of potentially negative social effects.

So any social company needs to be evaluated with respect to the positive effect they have.

[bctt tweet=””It’s better to be alone than in bad company “” username=”misra_amrita”]

#TRUTH 10

For Bloggers and Solopreneurs :

This post is especially important for bloggers and solopreneurs.If you are doing anything alone , it’s a strain on your mental health.

“Joy shared is doubled and burden shared is halved”

Join communities like Blogchatter and see how blogging becomes a social movement with tea parties thrown in.

In this busy world if your offline friends don’t get your spirit , find your friends online.

I did .For #Microblog Mondays is easily the most fun twitter chat ever.

You find friends ,learn ,grow and just get support for your dreams.

Sometimes it just takes one more person to believe.

References

Zhang Zhenmei, Hayward Mark D. Gender, the Marital Life Course, and Cardiovascular Disease in Late Midlife. Journal of Marriage and Family.2006;68:639–57.

Willson Andrea E. Race and Women’s Income Trajectories: Employment, Marriage, and Income Security over the Life Course. Social Problems.2003;50:87–110.
World Health Organization.Mental Health: Strengthening Mental Health Promotion. Fact Sheet No 220. 2007 Retrieved August 23, 2009 (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en/index.html)

Umberson Debra, Williams Kristi, Powers Daniel A, Chen Meichu. As Good as It Gets? A Life Course Perspective on Marital Quality. Social Forces.2005;84:493–511.[PMC free article] [PubMed]
Thoits Peggy. Personal Agency and the Stress Process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior.2006;47:309–23. [PubMed]
Thombs Dennis L, Wolcott Bette Jean, Farkash Lauren G. Social Context, Perceived Norms and Drinking Behavior in Young People. Journal of Substance Abuse. 1997;9:257–67. [PubMed]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/#!po=95.6667

Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy

Debra Umberson and Jennifer Karas Montez

Educator. 1990;16:192–200.[PubMed]
Nock Steven L. Marriage in Men’s Lives. New York: Oxford University Press; 1998.
Palloni Alberto. Reproducing Inequalities: Luck, Wallets, and the Enduring Effects of Childhood Health. Demography.2006;43:587–615. [PubMed]
Seeman Teresa E, Singer Burton H, Ryff Carol D, Love Gayle Dienberg, Levy-Storms Lené. Social Relationships, Gender, and Allostatic Load across Two Age Cohorts. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2002;64:395–406.[PubMed]

Rota virus vaccine…do your children need it?

By Dr.Abhijit Misra (MBBS,MD) on December 20, 2017

ROTA VIRUS VACCINE,Why our children need it

In low socioeconomic countries. Rotavirus is the main cause of diarrhea in up to 80% of babies less than 1 year.In India upto 87% of diarrhea requiring hospitalization is caused by Rota virus ,of which one-third is severe.Rota virus vaccine helps prevent childhood mortality and morbidity to severe dehydrating diarrhea caused by Rota virus.

Under such a situation giving the Rota virus vaccine appears to be the best way to protect our children from a highly preventable disease which can cause severe dehydration and its associated complications in babies less than one year age.

Rota virus vaccine. :types

2 variety of live attenuated oral vaccine available

Rotarix (RV1) :2 doses
Rota Teq (RV 5): 3dose

When to give. Rota virus vaccine ?

Routine vaccination best practices dictate :

Minimum age 6 weeks for both types.
Rotarix , 2 doses at 10 weeks and 14 weeks.
Rota Teq, 3 doses at 6, 10 and 14 weeks?
In case type of vaccine not known for any dose in the schedule , a total of 3 doses may have to be given.

For Delayed vaccination schedule:

Maximum age of 1st dose of vaccine schedule: 14 weeks, 6 days.

Maximum age of last dose 8months preferably within 6months.

No Rota virus vaccine to be given if:

History of severe allergic reaction to any previous dose of Rota virus vaccine.
History of severe allergy to latex- Rotarix cannot be given, Rota Teq may be given.
Past history of severe bowel obstruction known ad intussusception.
Baby is sick with high fever, or recent history of diarrhoea ,and/ or vomiting.

POST vaccination ..what to do

Child can be fed normally .
In case of fever, diarrhoea, irritability ….contact your doctor.

As it is a live vaccine child may shed the virus and hence proper hand washing during diaper changes is important( like. always ) and try to avoid contact of baby with anyone with a decreased immunity.

In India upto 2,000,000 outpatient visits and upto 1.5 lakh deaths occur due to Rota virus diarrhoea in less than 5 year old children.

Prevention in this case, like always is definitely better than cure.We owe our children a happy healthy life and anything which helps us achieve this goal is what all parents want.

So for all new parents with infants less than 15 weeks age , who are not yet protected from this highly preventable , but deadly disease should not delay.Take care and take charge.

Disclaimer :Kindly consult your doctor for all health and vaccine related decisions.This is strictly for general awareness. Read full disclaimer here.

Blog

The self delusions

Slow And Steady..

Solutions

Quick tips to help you along:

Sharing is good Karma!

What is Ebola virus and why the scare?

Current status Ebola

Who can spread Ebola?

How is Ebola virus spread?

Who needs protection?

How to protect yourself?

Diagnosis

Treatment

Update on Ebola Virus management

Hope, Pray and Prevent …. take home message

References

Sharing is good Karma!

Japanese encephalitis: problem in India

The mosquito which carries the Japanese Encephalitis virus

How does the disease spread?

When does Japanese encephalitis occur?

Who are most likely to get Japanese encephalitis?

Statistics which give you a better perspective

How can JE be Prevented?

Who needs Japanese encephalitis vaccine

Vaccination in India

Primary immunization

Booster Doses

Possible Adverse effects of JE vaccine:

Contraindications of Japanese Encephalitis vaccine:

The Big picture on Japanese encephalitis vaccine

Subscribe to our mailing list

Sharing is good Karma!

Money saved is money earned

Money=Happiness?

Living a comfortable happy ,rich life takes 5 things:

So how does all this help our bank balance?

The Plan

Sharing is good Karma!

#TRUTH 1

Quantity and quality of your company will affect:

#TRUTH 2

Majority of research findings show :

Poor quality social ties affect health.

Conditions associated with poor social health:

How relationships affect health?

Image courtesy Aniruddha Das

What are positive Health Behaviors?

What are negative health behaviours

What exactly does a poor marriage cause?

Takeaway

For Bloggers and Solopreneurs :

Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy

Sharing is good Karma!

ROTA VIRUS VACCINE,Why our children need it

Rota virus vaccine. :types

When to give. Rota virus vaccine ?

No Rota virus vaccine to be given if:

POST vaccination ..what to do

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