Get a typhoid vaccination in NYC so next time you travel you can actually drink the water

There are about 400 cases of typhoid found in the United States per year, which is relatively small considering that 75 percent of these cases occurred in Americans who had recently traveled outside of the United States. Further yet, a portion  of the 25 percent of domestic cases can be traced to international products consumed in this country. In August of 2010, for example, Goya and La Nuestra companies were forced to recall all of their frozen mamey pulp products after they were linked to a handful of typhoid cases reported on the West Coast. Their contaminated product, mamey pulp, is a tropical fruit grown mostly in Central and South America, meaning that the bacteria was most likely imported into this country, not formed within. So the US, as with most developed nations, manages to control typhoid pretty well.

Underdeveloped countries, some of which tend to be wonderful vacation spots, do not fare so well. According the Center for Disease control about 21.5 million people in the developing world contract typhoid fever every year. In the past decade, United States residents traveling to Latin American, Asia and Africa have experienced especially high frequencies of typhoid. If you plan on traveling to any of these areas you should avoid this sickness by getting a typhoid vaccination NYC at a certified travel clinic weeks before you take off.

For it is almost impossible to avoid a disease that manifests within the food and water of the country you visit. Tyhpoid fever spreads when humans swallow foods and water that has been contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. These microorganisms live in the stool of infected persons, and can in more ways than you’d like to imagine make its way into your mouth.  For example food is often spoiled when handled by someone sick with the disease that works in conditions where proper hand washing procedures are not enforced. Water proves a risk because local drinking water in countries with poorly maintained sewage systems is at times polluted with Salmonella Typhi, leading to the traveler’s common motto: “Whatever you do, don’t drink the water.”

Once ingested the bacteria multiplies and spreads throughout the bloodstream, causing the body to react with fever of 103 to 104 degrees. People also tend to experience severe headaches, abdominal pains and loss of appetite. People who do not get treated with antibiotics can sustain a fever and other symptoms for months, with as many as 20 percent dying due to complications from the bacteria.

If you plan on traveling to an area where typhoid fever is common you should visit a travel center to get a typhoid vaccination to prevent infection. Make sure to make an appointment at least 3 weeks prior to departure to ensure the immunization will take affect before you land in your destination.  Also, just because you’ve received a vaccine for typhoid once before does not mean you are not due for another; the vaccine loses its potency after several years. You can check with your travel doctor to find out if you are due for another shot.

If you live in or nearby New York City, make an appointment with this travel clinic in NYC located in Midtown. Your doctor carefully considers your entire itinerary to make sure you have all the needed medications and vaccines you need. Importantly, this clinic is also affordable, and clearly lists its pricing for vaccinations on its website at TravelClinicNY.com. Check it out to conveniently compare their prices with other clinics.

Log onto oral typhoid vaccination to make an appointment or call their office at 212-696-5900. You shouldn’t have to feel nervous about drinking water and enjoying local cuisine while abroad. Get vaccinated.

When you lack the evolutionary advantage, get the malaria vaccination in NYC

According the Center for Disease Control, each year nearly 1,500 people are diagnosed with malaria in this country, mostly in travelers returning from high risk zones. Every year, millions of people from the United States travel to malaria endemic regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa, and put themselves at risk to the disease. Once infected, individuals can suffer from high fever, headache, anemia, and inflammation of the spleen. Those who develop cerebral malaria, when the disease attacks the brain, commonly suffer from insanity, unconsciousness and, often, death.

Yet people living within developed countries have the privilege of convenient access to anti-malaria drugs and vaccinations. A prospective traveler in the US can substantially lower his or her risk of contracting the disease by visiting a travel clinic and receiving a malaria vaccination that builds immunity against it. Not all countries benefit from these life-saving immunizations. 

It is likely that malaria has killed more people worldwide, especially children, than any other infectious disease. The World Health Organization reports that over 40% of the world’s population lives in malaria zones. Every year 300-500 million people are affected by it, including one million children under the age of 6 that die of it every year. The disease can have devastating effects on individuals and communities badly affected by it, with sometimes severe political and economic ramifications. But do local peoples, with little to no access to anti-malaria vaccinations or travel clinic, have defenses against malaria infection?

An interesting aspect of microevoultion theory is how it explains the existence of certain heritable yet terminal diseases that refuse to be naturally weeded out of human populations. Skeptics of Darwin ponder how evolutionary theory by means of natural selection supports itself in cases like sickle-cell anemia, which creates abnormal hemoglobin that in turn misshapens and injures red blood cells, preventing them from adequately carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Why hasn’t this unfavorable trait been naturally selected out of populations? And which population can benefit from malaria prevention NYC?

One important marvel is how people that are heterozygous for sick cell anemia, meaning they carry one allele of it by mean of their mother or father, actually have strong survival genes against malaria. The explanation is surprisingly simple: The malaria virus attacks the host by invading its red blood cells where it replicates and spreads by infecting other red blood cells. But individuals who are heterozygous for Sickle Cell Anemia do not have enough healthy red blood cells for the virus to infect and grow in, thus inhibiting malaria to grow strong and overtake host. Thus is it an advantage for people living in malaria endemic regions to be heterozygote for Sickle Cell Anemia, granting it as a favorable trait to be passed on to future generations.

And it has, with sickle cell carrier frequencies at almost 40% in some African populations, where malaria has thrived for thousands of years. You’ll see similar statistics in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Indian populations where malaria resides. Microevolution theory gives us a fascinating example of how individuals within these populations have survived malaria environments with the aid of a usually life-threatening disease.

Yet most Americans have not developed this advantage, and need to get a malaria vaccination before entering any of these countries. If you live in or nearby NYC, visit this travel doctor NYC located in Midtown. It sits in between 39^th and 40^th street, just two blocks from the Bryant Park and Grand Central transit locations. The staff will answer all your concerns and offer expertise advise about maintaining your health while your abroad. Call 212-696-5900 or visit Travel Clinic New York  to make an appointment.

When you lack the evolutionary advantages, let modern medicine pick up the slack. Take advantage of travel vaccinations.

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 39^th and 40^th 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.

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.

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.