emergency-med

© Daniel Paquet

According to a new study, flu vaccines are safe for kidney transplant patients and they actually lower their risk of organ loss and death. Kidney transplant patients face a higher risk of death if they get the flue, but some previous studies suggested that flue vaccines may trigger an immune response that could lead to rejection of the new organ.

Of the patients analyzed in the latest study, those who received a flue vaccination were 23% less likely to suffer organ loss and 18% less likely to die during the study period than patients who didn't receive a flu vaccine. Also, these patients were no more likely to lose their transplanted kidney than those who did not get the vaccine. The study concludes that flu vaccination should not be withheld from kidney transplant patients due to fears that the new organ could be harmed.

© James Jordan

The monsoons have just started in Mumbai and the reports of malaria cases in the city are increasing. Since last two weeks, 865 cases of malaria have been reported which makes an average of 48 cases per day. Earlier record of Malaria cases used to be around 40 per day.
The statistics of public health department state have shown around 1194 registered cases of malaria in February which caused 3 deaths. The figures in April saw 1450 cases and no deaths. However, the figures of malaria registered cases have increased this month. BJP councilor Ashish Shelar criticized the attitude of civic administration and further added that the city lacks the capacity to bear the outbreak of the disease and it is also affecting the citizens of Mumbai.

© Piratepenpen

A recent report by a consumer group called Choice in Australia has revealed that many mandatory travel vaccines given to travelers are often unnecessary. A spokeswoman for Choice stated that many general practitioners are not appropriately aware of the best shots to be given because they are often inexperienced in the area of travel vaccinations.

As more people travel to exotic destinations each year, the travel vaccine market has expanded rapidly, but the safest bet is to seek out an experienced doctor before heading abroad. Travel vaccines are often costly, with a single vaccine ranging from $45 to $85, and multi-shot regimes for things like rabies and Japanese B encephalitis can run up to the $300 range. While it's unsafe for travelers to not receive necessary vaccines, it's also wrong for them to pay for ones which are not necessary.