During peak flu season, we may get a bit wary when a person near us sneezes. Maybe they complain of those typical symptoms, like fatigue or muscle aches. We may keep a bit of extra distance from that person, hoping to stay free of that highly-contagious virus.

Thankfully, that’s why many people opt to get the flu shot every year. The vaccine offers the best protection against the flu strains that are expected to circulate that year.

But, sometimes flu season changes a bit, with an unexpected mutated strain. Each time a person becomes sick, the virus changes with the individual’s chemistry and other cells with which it comes in to contact. One of the reasons why the flu is so difficult to predict is because it has various strains that mutate. As a result, scientists and researchers are always updating the flu shot and creating a new vaccine each year in efforts to prevent the illness.

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When you’re sick, people tend to give you a lot of advice: anything ranging from home remedies, medications, or even working out.

There are a lot of contradicting pieces of advice out there about exercising while and after you’re sick. Some people say to rest. Some people say sweat it out.

But, what’s the real answer? How long should you wait to exercise after or when you’re sick?

The answer isn’t so simple.

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The risks of malaria affect travelers and locals alike in over 100 countries.

Luckily, preparation and vaccination can help us eliminate a lot of that risk. Unfortunately, malaria remains one of the world’s most dangerous viruses that we still don’t have a vaccine for.

The mosquito-borne disease is usually found in Africa and South America. Without early detection, it can be incredibly hard to stop the virus. The WHO estimates that in 2016 alone, 216 million clinical cases of malaria occurred with 445,000 of those cases leading to death.

Without a vaccine to speak of, preparation becomes even more important for travelers. But, that task gets even harder for pregnant women. There has been no chance for pregnant women to protect themselves as well as others against the disease.

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Since the global outbreak began a few years ago, we’ve been in search of a Zika vaccine. While there has been reason for hope in the past, we still don’t have immunization to prevent the virus.

In early 2019, there still isn’t an approved vaccine for the Zika virus. But, we do know that previous exposure to one other virus could reduce the risks of Zika.

Published on January 22, a recent study on PLOS medicine showed that children were 38 percent less likely to get sick from the Zika virus if they already had dengue fever in the past.

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Toward the end of January, the World Health Organization published their top 10 health threats. These threats included vaccine hesitancy, which was among health problems such as Ebola and climate change.

The WHO publishes this list every year to create strategic plans which address the top issues.

According to the WHO, vaccine hesitancy is “the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines.”

Currently, vaccinations are able to prevent 2-3 million deaths each year. This number could rise by 1.5 million if vaccinations were accessible and used throughout the world.

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