Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/1208031
T M C P U L S E | F E B R U A R Y 2 02 0 33 Vaccine myths Preventing mortality should be a strong reason to pursue annual flu shots, said Catherine Troisi, Ph.D., an infectious disease epidemiolo- gist and associate professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. "The influenza vaccine has the ability to prevent a lot of death," she said. "It also prevents a lot of hospitalization." The former assistant director of the Houston Health Department added that the vaccine also can High-Quality Endocrinology Care ĂƚdŚƌĞĞŽŶǀĞŶŝĞŶƚ>ŽĐĂƟŽŶƐ͊ • Diabetes care • Disease and disorders of the adrenal gland • Thyroid problems • Metabolic disorders • Lipid disorders • WƌŽďůĞŵƐǁŝƚŚŵĞŶƐƚƌƵĂƟŽŶŽƌ menopause • Pituitary disorders • Problems with calcium metabolism or osteoporosis EĞǁWĂƚŝĞŶƚƐtĞůĐŽŵĞ͊ƉƉŽŝŶƚŵĞŶƚƐǀĂŝůĂďůĞ͊ Ăůů;ϴϯϮͿϱϰϴϱϬϬϬƚŽƐĐŚĞĚƵůĞĂŶŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞ ĂƉƉŽŝŶƚŵĞŶƚŽƌǀŝƐŝƚ>ĞŐĂĐLJŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ,ĞĂůƚŚ͘ŽƌŐ͘ Legacy Mapleridge 6550 Mapleridge St. Houston, TX 77081 >ĞŐĂĐLJDŽŶƚƌŽƐĞ 1415 California St. Houston, TX 77006 Legacy San Jacinto 4301 Garth Rd. Baytown, TX 77521 We accept most HMO/PPOs, Medicaid and DĞĚŝĐĂƌĞ. We also have ĂĨĨŽƌĚĂďůĞƐĞůĨͲƉĂLJŽƉƚŝŽŶƐĂŶĚƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐƚŽƌĞĚƵĐĞĐŽƐƚƐŽĨ ĐĂƌĞ͘KƵƌůŝŐŝďŝůŝƚLJĞdžƉĞƌƚƐĐĂŶŚĞůƉĨŝŶĚƚŚĞďĞƐƚŽƉƚŝŽŶĨŽƌLJŽƵ͘ NMLS 62411 • 2121 Sage Rd. Suite 140 • Houston, TX 77056 www.krussell.republicstatemortgage.com Brian Keith Russell Residential Mortgage Loan Originator #284011 krussell@rsmc.net 713 . 2 9 9 . 4 9 8 1 The lending power of a full-service banker with the ¾I\MFMPMX]XLEXGSQIW[MXLHIGMWMSRWQEHIPSGEPP] YOUR HOMETOWN LENDER reduce the length and severity of an illness. "When people say the flu vac- cine doesn't work very well—that can be true, but it depends on the match with the virus that is circu- lating. It may not prevent you from getting sick, but it may prevent you from getting sicker and it prevents hospitalizations and deaths," she said. Only about half of the popula- tion gets vaccinated, although it's now recommended for every- body over the age of six months, Troisi added. "And there are a lot of miscon- ceptions about the flu vaccine, like that you can get the flu from it—not true. Especially the inactivated vaccine; it doesn't have any virus in it, just parts of virus," she said. "With the live attenuated that's licensed for ages 2 to 49, it is possible that you can get the flu, but it's very rare and it would be a weak form of flu." When people say the flu vaccine doesn't work very well—that can be true, but it depends on the match with the virus that is circulating. It may not prevent you from getting sick, but it may prevent you from getting sicker and it prevents hospitalizations and deaths. — CATHERINE TROISI, PH.D. Infectious disease epidemiologist and an associate professor at UTHealth School of Public Health