Posts Tagged ‘Mayo Clinic’

Swine Flu Vaccine Close To Reality According to Experts

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Officials of the Federal government believe that the swine flu vaccine that would protect all Americans from future H1N1 outbreaks would be available by January or late November at the earliest.

HoTop of Form

wever, countries outside the United States and other nations that manufacture vaccines would take several years to generate sufficient vaccines to meet global demands.

Although manufacturing of the vaccine is faster than it was a few years back, it may still not be enough to prevent death and illness if the dreaded virus begins to spread and becomes virulent, experts predict.

In the United States, the main obstacle despite long years of effort remains to be the 50-year old technology they use in manufacturing flu vaccines. The Federal government had invested time and billions of dollars shifting to a quicker and more reliable method.

One such procedure involves cultivating the vaccine viruses in vats of cells instead of hen’s eggs. There are several small companies that are developing new methods that would pave the way for the creation of large volumes of vaccines in a span of weeks.

Dr. Greg Poland, who is the head of the vaccine research program at the Mayo Clinic, admits that the cell-based cultivation technology is not yet available while the never technologies have not yet been proven to satisfy most experts.

In addition, government officials have also not yet decided on whether or not H1N1 is a potential risk that demands production of vaccine. However, they are implementing the initial steps. Andrin Oswald, Chief Executive of the Vaccine Division of Novartis, revealed that one possible problem would be the manufacture of vaccines for swine influenza could hamper the production of seasonal flu vaccines for the coming winter. The most likely thing to do is to compromise, according to Oswald.

However, Robin Robinson, who manages the Emergency Preparation Research Program of the Department of Health and Human Services, believes that majority of manufacturing efforts of vaccine makers would have been completed by June.

According to Dr. Robinson, if the manufacture of the H1N1 vaccine would commence after that, the first 50 million to 80 million would be ready by September.

Dr. Robinson continued by saying that the entire 600 million doses, which are sufficient to give the required two shots for every American would be available by January. Adding the immune stimulant adjuvant to the vaccine could greatly reduce the required dosage, paving the way for the availability of the doses by the latter part of November.

The vaccine industry in the country is now very much capable of responding to the outbreak than it was five years back, when there were only two vaccine manufacturers and encountered a severe shortage. At present, there are five manufacturers supplying vaccines to the domestic market. The vaccine industry, which is used to be the backwater of the pharmaceutical industry, is generating new investments, as a result of government subsidies and higher cost for vaccines.

Despite of this, a World Health Organization and International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations revealed that it would still require four more years of manufacturing to meet global demands for a vaccine that would provide protection against bird flu strain that has been the major concern of health officials over the last few years.

Finally, the Federal government is encouraging manufacturers to shift their production in the United States, since all except Sanofi Aventis is now importing swine flu vaccines.

Maintaining Healthy Gums

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

Your gums are practically cesspools for bacteria. It is extremely easy for your gums to come down with diseases that are quite unpleasant. These gum disease affect up to 80% of people, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website. Imagine that many people, each ignoring their gums and reaping the consequences in the form of strange and horrible problems. This is an issue that can, and does lead to tooth loss. Dentists say that gum disease also leads to more serious health conditions, as it creates a pathway for viruses and bacteria to enter the body directly through the area that gets the most traffic the mouth.

So what is it that causes someone to get gum disease? The answer is that most people slowly let their gums fester. Chances are that the diseases have been working their evil quietly in their teeth for quite some time. This person has been getting accumulative effects of poor dental hygiene for many years now. Sometimes they may notice the illusion that their teeth are getting more prominent, or longer. This is called gum recession and it goes hand-in-hand with gum disease. It affects a huge amount of people, even if they brush and floss their teeth religiously.

If food buildup occurs enough, tartar forms. Tarter creates a perfect environment for bacteria to flourish and grow in, and some of the time brushing and flossing will do absolutely nothing to stop it from happening. Professional cleaning will usually get the job done, but many people only visit their dentist once every year. Therefore you should try to figure out home solutions to keep your teeth as clean as possible and prevent from building homes for the bacteria to live in and gather forces to invade your neighboring gums. It may sound impossible, but it can be done.

First of all you should try to eat a healthy diet. If you are eating a bunch of sugar and junk food, your teeths integrity will be compromised much faster, giving extra places for bacteria to roam. You should also brush and floss religiously if you havent already. While these things may not be enough to prevent tartar, they will still hold it off for a much longer time than if you hadnt done so. On top of these things, you should try out different products. Many types of special toothpaste are formulated to kill tartar. They work great, and are generally not too much more expensive than regular toothpaste.

On top of these things, you should probably go to the dentist more often than just when they send you reminder cards. 6 months is a good interval. Go in for a cleaning and an examination. The professional cleaning should get rid of all of the tartar that your own efforts have missed, and the examination will catch any cavities that could lead to tooth loss and gum disease.

Your teeth are a very important part of your life, since you use them to do so many things. If youve ever seen someone without any teeth try to eat, you should be plenty motivated to keep on top of things. So today, start making the move towards better oral hygiene. You will reap the benefits later in life when you have healthy gums and a mouth full of teeth.

Mayo MedAir Puts Safety First

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

The Mayo Clinic is well known for their top-notch medical standards and quality. People from all over the world enlist the services of the Mayo Clinic when medical situations arise that need specialized care. Like the Mayo Clinic, Mayo MedAir puts the patient and safety first. Any patient that requires air ambulance transport will be properly monitored, comfortable, and safe during the flight.

Mayo MedAir is a member of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services. Although no federal standards exist in the industry, air ambulance companies certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services are known to meet or exceed minimum standards. Such standards include competency and safety requirements. Standards in education, administration, communication, and maintenance are also considered. Mayo MedAir is the only CAMTS certified air ambulance company in the state of Minnesota, and one of few companies around the globe to make this level of commitment.

Mayo MedAir flights are known for their safety record. Each air ambulance has two pilots on board. The pilots are required to have numerous hours of experienced flight time. Several hours of flight time in high-traffic areas are a requirement for Mayo MedAir pilots. Unlike some other air ambulance companies, Mayo MedAir does not send out a single pilot on a medical mission. The pilots at Mayo MedAir are dedicated to medical missions. They are not pulled away from other positions to man a flight in an emergency.

The medical staff that accompanies the patient are a team of no fewer than two members. Each medical team is highly trained to tackle any condition the patient may have or an emergency that arises during transport. In specialized cases, the Mayo MedAir medical team may consist of more members that can directly deal with the specific medical needs of the patient. This fact is especially important in cases involving the need for NICU services or a respiratory therapist, for instance. Each member of the team works at the Mayo Clinic and is specially trained for critical care.

The medical team has a medical director above them that oversees their work. This position is filled by a Mayo Clinic physician trained in emergency care. The medical director is responsible for the actions of the medical team during the flight and transport, so the quality standards and safety record remains high. The care of the patient becomes top priority.

Safety of the patient is of utmost importance to Mayo MedAir. For this reason, each air ambulance carries standard equipment that allows the patient to receive proper treatment during transit. In addition to specialized medical tools and equipment, the air ambulance has the technology to stay in contact with physicians on the ground during the entire flight. Whether communication is via phone, email, or text message, the medical team and hospital are aware of all circumstances during transit.

It is clear to see that Mayo MedAir is committed to patient safety. This air ambulance service is dedicated to quality service. Every aspect of safety and patient care has been considered.