This video was supplied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the video is not visible, or does not play, you may need to install the QuickTime player.

Changes to school immunization requirements for five vaccines take effect Aug. 1 according to Texas Department of State Health Services officials.

Follow this link to see the official New School Immunization Requirements Effective Aug. 1 press release.

“The changes were made to update the Texas elementary and secondary school immunization requirements to more closely match recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices,” said Jack Sims, DSHS immunization branch manager.

Changes affect mainly students entering kindergarten and seventh grade. All immunizations must be completed by the first day of attendance at public and private schools. The vaccines and new requirements are:

· Hepatitis A vaccine: Students entering kindergarten statewide must have had two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine.

· Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine: Students entering kindergarten must have had two doses of the MMR vaccine. Students in grades 1 through 12 must continue to meet the current requirement, which is two doses of a measles-containing vaccine and one dose each of mumps and rubella vaccine.

· Varicella vaccine: Students entering kindergarten and seventh grade must have had two doses. Students in grades 1 though 6 and 8 through 12 must continue to meet the current requirement, which is one dose of varicella vaccine.

· Tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap): Students entering seventh grade must have had one dose of Tdap vaccine. Students in seventh grade must have had a booster dose of Tdap, but only if it has been five years since their last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine. Students in grades 8 through 12 must have had a booster dose of Tdap if it has been 10 years since their last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.

· Menigococcal vaccine: Students entering seventh grade must have had one dose.

Continue Reading »

The information for this article was provided by The American Liver Foundation and The Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC).

Vibrio vulnificus

Every year millions of Americans consume raw molluscan shellfish, especially oysters and clams. For some people, however, eating raw or undercooked molluscan shellfish can cause serious illness or death from Vibrio vulnificus.

Vibrio vulnificus is a gram-negative bacterium and is considered the most lethal of the vibrios inhabiting brackish and salt water. This bacterium is not the result of bacteriological or chemical pollution of marine waters, but occurs naturally in warm, coastal areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico. V. vulnificus is found in higher concentrations from April through October when coastal waters are warm.

AT-RISK POPULATION:
Most healthy individuals are not at risk for V. vulnificus infection. Persons at high-risk include those with liver disorders, including hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer; hemochromatosis; diabetes
mellitus; and those with immunocompromising conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, or undergoing their treatments. Individuals who take prescribed medication to decrease stomach acid levels or who have had gastric surgery are also at risk.

INFECTION:
Filter-feeding shellfish, such as oysters and clams, concentrate V. vulnificus in their tissues. When a person eats these shellfish raw or undercooked, the bacteria enter the digestive tract and multiply
rapidly. In addition to ingestion, high-risk individuals can become infected when cuts, burns or sores come in contact with seawater containing V. vulnificus.

Continue Reading »

This video is from the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and discusses swimming related illnesses.