Does Our Aussie flu vaccine work in
the north - UK/ USA?
Travellers often ask if the southern hemisphere flu
vaccine will protect them when they travel to the
northern hemisphere? - basically yes to a large extent.
 WHO
(World Health Organisation) recommended vaccines for
2007 season (southern hemisphere winter) contain the
following:
an A/New Caledonia/20/99(H1N1)-like virus;
an A/Wisconsin/67/2005(H3N2)-like virusa;
a B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus
WHO recommended vaccines to be used in the 2007-8
season (northern hemisphere winter) contain the
following:
an A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like virus;
an A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like virusa;
a B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus
That means two out of three of the strains are
identical which means substantial cross protection.
To all women between 17 – 26 years
You may have heard of the new Gardasil vaccine to
protect against cervical cancer developed by Professor
Ian Frazer and his team here in Australia.
Gardasil will soon be available free of charge for
women 17-26. The current best estimate time for free
stocks to be released is late July / early August 2007.
If you are between 17-26 years, you are entitled to
receive the vaccine free for a limited time. After that
time you can expect to pay $450 or more. The vaccine
takes 6 months to be fully effective. We will keep you
posted.
What gets mosquitoes excited?
- Different mosquito’s have different preference’s
for host feeding ; some are much more picky than
others
- Anopheles gambiae - one of the main malaria
mosquitoes - is 100% selective for humans only
- Anopheles gambiae is rain dependent as it breeds
in non polluted pools
- Mossies use olfactory cues (if we smelt like cows
we wouldn’t get malaria); they have 4 'noses'
- 346 compounds in our odours identified (from our breath; sweat and sebum from skin; and
from our urine)
- mosquitos do sleep (thus anopheles not responsive
during day)
- carbon dioxide orientates the mossie to host and
the more carbon dioxide, the more mossies will be
attracted
- mossies fly upwind (wind also helps them orientate)
- mosquitoes can’t keep up with us if we’re running; so we’re at risk when we stop
- different species have preferred biting
sites on the host e.g. anopheles gambiae love the feet,
whereas
aedes aegypti (dengue mosquito) loves head, neck
and shoulders
Did you know ...
Mosquito repellents containing 30% Deet are the most
effective |
A product that
allows women to urinate while standing?
 The
Whiz Plus is an ingenious device that allows women to
pass urine while standing.
 Made
from a flexible, medical grade plastic containing an
antibacterial agent (like really good chopping boards),
it's easy to clean and has a high tech plasma coating
that actually repels liquid. The Whiz Plus removes the
need to undress, can be flicked dry, is hygienic, small
and discreet, and is completely re-usable. Comfortable,
soft and flexible, it has been shaped based on studies
of over 1400 women world-wide.
Here are some useful links on
travel health info
Want info on altitude sickness?
www.ismmed.org Divers
Alert Network -
DAN helps divers in need with medical emergency
assistance
and promotes diving safety through
research, education, products and services.
www.diversalertnetwork.org Access-Able Travel
Source
www.access-able.com: Information and everything else you need to
know about travel with disabilities, mature travel,
disability magazines, access guides, wheelchair travel,
scooter rental, accessible transportation and more!
|
The
Travel Medicine Alliance