April 29, 2014
Health Digest: Infant immunization, worker memorial, malaria and AirCare
Health Digest is a selection of recent news and features from the UW Health Sciences/UW Medicine.
Infant immunization: Moments of angst, years of protection
Immunizations protect babies from a range of serious childhood illnesses and their complications – deafness, paralysis, neurological problems, liver and lung damage, and other lasting effects.
“These aren’t minor ailments like colds. These are potentially deadly diseases,” said Dr. Drew Fillipo, medical director of pediatrics at Northwest Hospital, a part of UW Medicine. “Parents sometimes get lulled into a sense of complacency because not too many people get these diseases.”
Read more about infant vaccinations on HSNewsBeat.
UW observes state’s job-related deaths in Workers’ Memorial Day Ceremony
UW’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences held a memorial on campus April 25 to observe Workers’ Memorial Day. They honored 64 workers, including soldiers, who died in 2013 from a job-related illness or injury. Photographer Sarah Fish captured the event in a Facebook slideshow. More coverage of the event is on HSNewsBeat.
Malaria: Major progress and continuing vulnerabilities
Major progress has been made in the last decade against malaria, a tropical parasitic disease. UW graduate Robert Newman, who directed the WHO’s Global Malaria Programme, is hopeful for the disease’s eradication.
“From 2000 to 2014, there was a 50 percent drop in mortality,” he said. Yet a lot of work remains. According to WHO estimates, last year malaria killed more than half a million people.” Learn more on HSNewsBeat.
Alaska reinstates AirCare membership program
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell signed a bill into law to allow Airlift Northwest to reinstate its AirCare program for the state’s residents. The annual-subscription program covers deductibles and coinsurance fees for emergency air medical transport not covered by insurance.
Details are on HSNewsBeat.
Tag(s): Airlift Northwest • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Department of Global Health • School of Medicine • School of Public Health
