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Importance of Vaccines

7th March, 2010 - Posted by YoungWithMS - No Comments

Today I wanted to touch on something that I feel is very very important. The past couple of months our society as a whole has been struggling and worrying about several things. The number one being the Swine Flu or H1N1 virus. Everyone started getting very worried and doing everything they could to prevent from contracting it. Since people like me that have MS have to take extra precautions always I figured I would touch on this subject. Among the few factors that increase the risk of a relapse are viral infections. In fact, a viral infection precedes one-quarter to one-half of all relapses. It appears that the virus triggers the relapse by provoking further action from the immune system. For this reason, if you have MS, try to avoid close contact with people who have such infections. (Typical viral infections unclude colds, flus and diarrheal infections such as gastroenteritis.) Also, be sure to get lots of sleep to avoid becoming run-down. When you’re run-down, you’re at greater risk of catching a viral infection and increasing your chance of a relapse. Getting vaccinated against flu seems to have no effect one way or the other on your chances of have a relapse. As there are no specific antiviral treatments, the best therapy is to avoid getting viral infections in the first place. Remember to always wash your hands and use hand sanitizer. Germ prevention starts with you! Take Care and God Bless.

Smiles, Jennifer

Youngwithms