Purpose: To explore adolescent health seeking behavior during pregnancy and early motherhood in order to contribute to health policy formulation and improved access to health care. This will in long-term have an impact on the reduction of morbidity and mortality among adolescent mothers and their newborns. Methods: This was a qualitative study…

Unless there are contraindications, there are seven diseases for which the Centers for Disease Control recommends all children be vaccinated: (1) diphtheria; (2) measles; (3) mumps; (4) pertussis; (5) poliomyelitis; (6) rubella; and (7) tetanus. The 748 references in this bibliography relate to various aspects of these vaccines and the diseases…

While the United States rubella immunization program has controlled epidemic rubella, endemic rubella activity still occurs and affects primarily adolescents and young adults. (Author)

School nurses are at the forefront of health care providers for many families of junior high and high school students and are used as primary sources of information and guidance about recommended student vaccinations. In the case of the relatively new vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), school nurses must be both knowledgeable about the…

Objective: To evaluate school immunization records and document the immunization coverage and compliance level of children enrolled in kindergarten in Phoenix during the 2001-2002 school year. The purpose was to obtain information on: 1) immunization status by age two; 2) under-immunization in kindergarten; 3) administration error; and 4)…

Ocular defects of congenital rubella are discussed, and the current status of the development of the rubella vaccine and the immunization program is summarized. (KW)

Research has shown that children less than 5 years of age are at high risk of serious flu-related complications. It is estimated that more than 20,000 children less than 5 years old are hospitalized due to flu each year in the U.S. Many more have to go to a doctor, an urgent care center, or the emergency room because of flu. Complications from the…

It has been suggested that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) is a cause of regressive autism. As MMR was used in Japan only between 1989 and 1993, this time period affords a natural experiment to examine this hypothesis. Data on 904 patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were analyzed. During the period of MMR usage no…

At least 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year in the United States, accounting for at least 4,000 deaths. Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women. The human papilloma virus (HPV) has been linked to at least 70% of all cervical cancer. HPV can be divided into 2 categories: (a) low risk,…

In 1981, a measles outbreak in an Arkansas university involved 16 students and 4 others. The first two cases were in students who had recently returned from Honduras. Only two of the students were considered adequately immunized. A voluntary immunization clinic held on campus resulted in 67 percent of 3,076 students being vaccinated. (Author/KH)

Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) are developed by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Each TIP involves the development of topic-specific best-practice guidelines for the prevention and…

Background: Cervical cancer is primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality among women. Purpose: College women may be at risk for contracting HPV based on their sexual behavior. An exploratory analysis was conducted, following the release of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil[R], to (1)…

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus responsible for cervical cancer, is the most common viral sexually transmitted infection in the United States. A vaccine was approved in 2006 that is effective in preventing the types of HPV responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. Proposals for routine and mandatory HPV…

The Center for Immunology at the University of Buffalo provides a viable resource for educating medical students in immunology until a department of immunology can be developed within the medical school. (HS)