Health

By Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

The idiom to catch up means to reach a standard or to move faster in order to reach someone or something moving in the same direction.  This idiom can mean anything from a competition of catching someone who maybe running a race or it can mean a meeting with a friend to catch up on the latest news.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on April 24 “The Big Catch-Up” program to coincide with World Immunization Week.  This new campaign is driven by the decrease in pediatric vaccines prior to and during COVID-19.  Routine childhood vaccines declined in over 100 countries during the pandemic.  This is the largest sustained decline in 30 years.

The CDC reports a decline in pediatric immunizations during COVID-19 in the United States. The start of the 2022 school year had the lowest vaccine rates for kindergarten children at 93%.  Experts believe the disruption of routine physician visits and the misinformation about vaccines contributed to the falling numbers.

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By Ailing Chen, MD
Pediatrics, Caughman Health Center

Acute strep pharyngitis, commonly known as strep throat, is a bacterial infection that affects the throat and tonsils. It is caused by the group A Streptococcus bacterium that can be easily spread through contact with an infected person's saliva or nasal secretions. 

However, viruses are the most common cause of pharyngitis in all age groups. Experts estimate that group A strep, the most common bacterial cause, causes 20 to 30 percent of pharyngitis episodes in children. In comparison, experts estimate it causes approximately five to 15 percent of pharyngitis infections in adults.

What are the symptoms for strep throat?
The most common symptoms of strep throat include sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and white or yellow spots on the back of the throat or tonsils. Other symptoms may include headache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting — especially among children. Rash on face or around the neck may be present with strep infection in some children, which is called scarlet fever. 

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