Thursday, December 29, 2011

Guard your health abroad by visiting one of many travel clinic located in New York

Going abroad? Before taking off ask yourself these questions to see if you’ve taken the right steps to guard your health from disease and infection while in another country.
Have you made an appointment to visit a travel clinic?
Everyone living in the tri-state area that is traveling overseas should visit one of the many travel clinics in New York before leaving to get accurate, up-to-date information on the health risks you take by visiting a particular country. You should meet with a travel physician 4 to 6 weeks before traveling to guarantee enough time for certain medications to take effect, especially for some vaccines that are distributed in a series, with days and sometimes weeks lapsing between each shot.

Do you know what vaccinations you need?
A trained travel doctor will tell you what immunizations you need, but it’s helpful to do some research about the country you to plan to visit and see what the Center for Disease Control recommends for Americans traveling there.  The CDC breaks down travel vaccines into three categories: those that should be routine, those that are recommended, and those that are required.
Routine Vaccinations
Routine travel vaccinations protect from diseases that, while uncommon in the United States, are oftentimes endemic in other parts of the World. Every adult planning to travel should update his or her immunizations. Adults should get one dose of the influenza vaccine every year, a tetanus booster every ten years, 1 or 2 dozes of the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine before age 50, and all women should get the 3 doses of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine before age 28, to name a few. Check with your travel physician to see what routine vaccinations you are in need of.
Recommended Vaccinations
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC organize and inform us of the recommend vaccinations for U.S. travelers. They are based on the country they wish to travel to but can also depend on how rural the area, the season you’ll be traveling in, how long you’ll be there, how old you are, your current health concerns, and whether you’ve had any previous immunizations.
Required Vaccines
Currently there are only two vaccines that are required by law for travel into certain countries. The first is the yellow fever vaccination for travel to tropical parts of South America and parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The second is the meningococcal vaccination required for entry into Saudi Arabia. You will need to visit a certified travel clinic to receive an authorized travel immunization certificate to get clearance for these vaccinations.
Are you traveling with children?
There are different recommendations and vaccination procedures for children traveling abroad that adults need to take special care with before traveling with them. Children are especially susceptible to infectious diseases overseas, especially infants; for example nearly one million children under the age of 6 die every year from malaria. If you are traveling with children it is especially important you visit a travel clinic to access their needs.

If you’re looking for travel vaccination clinic New York visit this travel clinic located in Midtown. It’s located in between 39th and 40th street, two blocks from the Grand Central and Bryant Park transit locations. This travel clinic in Manhattan staff is incredibly personably yet professional, and can answer all your concerns about how to maintain your health while you’re abroad. To make an appointment you call 212-696-5900 or visit TravelClinicNY.com.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Every child needs a tetanus vaccination, and I know the right clinic for it in NYC


If you have a child that will be entering kindergarten or preschool soon, chances are he or she needs to get a tetanus vaccination nyc shot very soon.  You may not remember getting one, but if you were born in the United States within the last 60 years you more than likely received one as part of the routine child immunization schedule for all US residents.  Today, there are almost no elementary schools in the country that do not require proof of immunization boosters for children seeking admittance into their program. But don’t feel annoyed by this, as tetanus is a serious, lethal infection and a vaccine is the most effective way to prevent it.
Tetanus is caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani found in contaminated soil, dust and animal feces. If your child is playing outside and cuts his or herself and then comes into contact with the bacteria it may enter directly into their blood stream. Once infected, tetanus toxins will attack the motor neurons, the nerves in the body that help control muscle movements. Your child will then experience muscle stiffness and spasms in the jaw and neck muscles, a condition commonly expressed as “lockjaw.” Following symptoms include difficultly in swallowing, stiff abdominal muscles, overall painful body spasms, which all can interfere with their ability to breathe and inevitably threaten their life. The tetanus vaccine lowers their risk to this infection substantially.
If you are unfamiliar with travel shots, you should know that their introduction into modern medicine was like a miracle for the human species. In the past millions of people used die from bad cuts or injuries that become contaminated. Now, vaccines prevent this by strengthening our immune system, whose job is to protect our bodies from infection and illness. When foreign viruses and bacteria enter our body our immune system responds by producing antibodies, acting like little soldiers in our body that fight infection and disease for us.
More importantly, once our body makes these antibodies it will be more prepared for the next invasion, understanding the bacteria better. This is why people who have had chickenpox almost never get it again as adults, even if in close contact with this contagious disease again. Vaccines stimulate the antibody process. The Tdap vaccine in nyc  introduces this process without getting the individual sick.  A small amount of the bacteria is inserted into the individual in order to promote antibody growth in the immune system. If you need to explain this to your child, it’s sort of like training your troupes for battle. When the enemy does arrive, your body will be strong and familiar enough with it to defeat it.
Many parents have expressed concerned over vaccines, but they have a long record of being safe and incredibly effective in preventing disease. The risk of a vaccine harming your child is nothing compared to the risk you put them in by not preparing them against tetanus.
You can get your child their tetanus shot safely and quickly at this conveniently located travel clinic in new york.  When you come in you’ll meet with a board certified doctor, not a nurse practitioner like with most clinics. Their general staff is incredibly professional and respectful of your time, with waiting times rarely exceeding thirty minutes for walk-ins. As a travel clinic, they specialize in vaccinations, so you can feel certain your child will interact with an incredibly proficient and experienced doctor.
Call them today at (212) 696 5900 or log onto travel clinic new york to start your child’s tetanus vaccine.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Don’t forget your immunization for yellow fever before leaving NYC

Traveling to a South America soon? If so, take note that it’s about to experience its rainy season, which brings with it increased risk for mosquito borne diseases such as yellow fever. You can avoid this catastrophe by visiting a travel clinic for a yellow fever immunization nyc before journeying south. 

Yellow fever is a virus that affects human and nonhuman primates in mostly tropical parts of the world. An infected female mosquito bites the host, forcing about 1000 to 100,000 virus particles into the human bloodstream. The virus typically immediately starts replicating within the skin cells at the site of injection before spreading to nearby lymph nodes. The virus tends to favor the lymphoid cells for primary replication, and utilizes its channels and the bloodstream to infect other organs. Once in the liver and spleen very large amounts of the virus starts replicating and gets released tenfold into the bloodstream.

About three to six days after infection the virus may be transmitted to a mosquito that in turn can infect another person. There are three possible modes of transmission depending on the area where incubation occurs all the more reason to get a travel vacciantion.

Jungle (sylvatic):   Primate-insect-human
If you are journeying into a tropical forest in South America this is the most likely mode of transmission. Because yellow fever affects human and nonhuman primates, the transmission cycle in jungle areas typically moves from primate to mosquito to a human exploring the area.

Savannah (intermediate):    Human-insect-primate-insect-human
If you are traveling to Africa and more rural parts of S. America this is the most typical mode of transmission you’ll experience. The Aedes spp. mosquito that carries the virus breeds well in tree holes in these areas. And considering that humans often work and live near these jungle borders, the cycle is just as likely to start with humans as it is with monkeys.

Urban:   Human-insect-human
Cities nearby jungle and savannah areas experience this mode of transmission, where mosquitos transmit the virus from human to human. During the rainy season, local cities are considered to be at high risk for a yellow fever endemic due to this possible mode of transmission within large groups of humans.
Roughly three to six days after infection the host begins feeling symptoms from the virus. People typically suffer from fever, headache, chills backache, muscle pains and vomiting. These symptoms characterize organ dysfunction, especially in the liver and kidneys. If the illness persists for two week patients have two outcomes: rapid recovery or death. About 20 to 50 percent of people who reach this period do not survive.  

A preventive strategy is the best way to treat yellow fever, as there is currently no anti-viral medication available for it. A yellow fever immunization shot offers the highest level of protection against the disease, with nearly 100 percent effectiveness for people who receive the shot 3-4 weeks before traveling to endemic areas. 

If you are in need of a yellow fever vaccination, or any vaccine for that matter, visit this travel clinic in NYC to get all of your health needs taken care for travel. It’s fully certified to distribute the yellow fever shot, which not all doctor’s offices can claim. Your doctor is also incredibly experienced in international travel and can tell you everything you need to know for wherever you wish to go. Just easily set up an appointment by visiting their website at NYC travel clinic or calling their office at 212-696-5900.

Traveling to interesting, tropical parts of the world doesn’t have to be dangerous if you know the proper preventative health procedures. Be sure to get all the needed immunizations before taking off.