BUG-OFF !

Last week (3rd June), scientists from repellent testing facility arctec at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine launched Bug Off - the first ever 'Insect Repellent Awareness Day' to highlight the issue.  They recommend applying repellents containing 20-50% DEET to the skin when in countries with diseases spread by insects, such as malaria and dengue fever.  People have expressed concerns about the safety of DEET which led to a number of investigations. However, the scientists behind Bug Off have carried out a review of published studies and conclude that there is insufficient evidence to show that DEET is unsafe. The review is published in the open access journal Parasites and Vectors - see here.  For the full press release see here.
The website for the bug-off initiative is found at http://www.bug-off.org/  This website has detail about the science, FAQs on repellents, a podcast and  includes some great educational materials for children and resource packs for teachers.  Click on the image below to download a useful poster you could put up in a GP surgery or travel clinic waiting room.

Vaccine Storage

RCN Publishing have very kindly allowed a direct link to my article on Safe Storage and Handling of Vaccines on the RCN Immunisation page.  Click here to go to this very useful page which includes many resources on immunisation, and click on the image below for the article.

In May 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a 45 minute video on Keys to Storing and Handling Your Vaccine Supply which is interesting to watch from a USA perspective.  See here for details and click on the image below for a direct link.

Vaccine Update and Green Book Update Subscription Service

I've always been a fan, but I have to say I think the 'Vaccine Update' now produced by Public Health England, just gets better and better.  But did you know that although thousands of people subscribe to the publication, it's only opened by about 23% of those who receive it?!  Well those that don't look are missing out big time.  It's THE most useful way of keeping yourself up to date on any immunisation issue, and travel is included.  Take a look at the image below from page 4 with news of the latest useful and colourful posters including this on the latest centrally provided vaccines.

And on page 3 it provides information about subscribing directly to receive updates to the Green Book as and when they are published - see below, and click on either image to get a copy of the May 2014 Vaccine Update.

To access the poster above directly click here

To access the 'Subscription Service' directly click here  

World Malaria Day and UK statistics for 2013

Yesterday was World Malaria Day - always on the 25th April and this week the World Health Organization published a new malaria video lasting just 4 minutes 16 seconds.  It's a very interesting clip stating that half the world's population is at risk of malaria. The video is an introduction to this disease with a few key facts about its global epidemiology, symptoms, mode of transmission through infected mosquitoes, its diagnosis and treatment and the main means to prevent its transmission and limit its spread.  To view, just click on the image below.

Yesterday Public Health England also published their figures for imported malaria infections reported in the UK in 2013.  There were 1501 cases which was a rise of nine per cent on 2012 when there were 1378 cases. Seven people died from malaria in the UK in 2013 and 79% of malaria cases were due to thew dangerous and sometimes fatal Plasmodium falciparum.  For more information see here and  for more detail see here

Raffles Landing in Singapore!

I'm in Singapore speaking at an International School Nurse Conference and have been meeting some wonderful and interesting nurses from all over S.E. Asia - see here.  There's been a little time for sightseeing and yesterday Peter and I came across an elephant in the grounds of the Raffles Hotel.  The elephant was part of the Elephant Parade, a charity for the conservation of Asian elephants see here.  This particular elephant is called 'Raffles Landing' designed by Diana Francis and was part of the Elephant Parade in Singapore in 2012.  In London we had an Elephant Parade in 2010 which I've blogged about before and enjoyed seeing so many of them!  However a UK National tour is also happening in 2014 so for more details see here

Here's a picture of Raffles Landing! 

World Health Day 2014 and a great poster!

World Health Day is on 7th April 2014 this year.  The World Health Organization have published a great poster on their website about vector-borne diseases.  It would be an intersting one to print off and put on a noticeboard for your travellers!  Click on the image to access this poster.  To find out more about World Health Day click here.  There are some additional great resources on there.

How strange is that?!

I was teaching a great group of nurses yesterday for the Barking and Dagenham CCG and on my way back into London I was travelling on the tube to go into the RCN to work in their library - a great facility!  The tube was very crowded and a couple were standing in front of me.  I looked down and there the gentleman was carrying this bag as illustrated in the photo below!  He was using his conference bag from the Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine, held in Maastricht last year!  He was deep in conversation, I didn't like to interupt, and its not the 'done thing' to speak to people you don't know on the tube .... but then my tube stop came up so I had to get.  To see my presentation at that event see here!