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Germs are everywhere, both in our environment and in our bodies. When a person is susceptible and they encounter a harmful organism, these germs can lead to disease and death.
However, the body has many ways of defending itself against disease-causing organisms or pathogens. Skin, mucus, and cilia (microscopic hairs that move debris away from the lungs) all work as physical barriers to prevent pathogens from entering the body in the first place.
When a pathogen does infect the body, our body’s defenses, called the immune system, are triggered and the pathogen is attacked and destroyed or overcome.
The body's natural response
A pathogen is a bacterium, virus, parasite or fungus that can cause disease within the body. Each pathogen is made up of several subparts, usually unique to that specific pathogen and the disease it causes. The subpart of a pathogen that causes the formation of antibodies is called an antigen. The antibodies produced in response to the pathogen’s antigen are an important part of the immune system. You can consider antibodies as the soldiers in your body’s defense system. Each antibody, or soldier, in our system is trained to recognize one specific antigen. We have thousands of different antibodies in our bodies. When the human body is exposed to an antigen for the first time, it takes time for the immune system to respond and produce antibodies specific to that antigen, and in the process the person becomes susceptible to illness.
Read more: The Immune System and Vaccines: How do they work?
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Photo Courtesy of iStock
February may have the day of hearts, but every day in it is technically a day for the heart too. February is Philippine Heart Month—it has been since 1973 by virtue of Proclamation No. 1096 signed on Jan. 9, 1973. The proclamation seeks to promote awareness of heart disease as a serious and growing health concern among Filipinos.
Why Have a Heart Month at All?
It may not seem urgent until it hits close to you, but cardiovascular health is becoming an issue worldwide. Cardiovascular disease or CVD refers to a class of ailments that affect the heart and the blood vessels connected to it. These ailments actually account for a staggering 17.5 million deaths each year.
17.5 million. That gives them the biggest chunk of the annual fatalities for non-communicable diseases. By comparison, cancers only make up 8.2 million of the non-communicable disease deaths each year.
Additionally, alarming to us is that at least three-quarters of the global fatalities for CVDs comes from middle-to-lower-income countries. In terms of pure statistics then, the Filipino population is at higher risk for cardiovascular-disease-related deaths than that of countries like the US.
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With the number of questions and speculations about the COVID-19 vaccine recently spreading like the dreaded virus itself, it will not be surprising if the level of uncertainty and anxiety might kill us faster than the virus.
To shed some light on this, here are some of the frequently asked questions and answers relative to the COVID-19 Vaccine, as shared by the Department of Health:
1. How do vaccines prevent disease?
Vaccines mimic the virus or bacteria that causes disease and triggers the body’s creation of antibodies. These antibodies will provide protection once a person is infected with the actual disease-causing virus or bacteria.
2. How do vaccines differ?
Vaccines differ in their composition and how they trigger the immune response to create antibodies. These antibodies protect the body from microorganisms and serve as protection once a person gets infected with disease. Vaccines can be inactivated, weakened or killed copies of the whole or part of the virus or bacteria, or genetic product (like mRNA vaccines) that creates protein copies without causing disease.
3. What are the possible side effects of vaccination?
The possible side effects of a vaccine include pain, redness, itchiness or swelling at the injection site (which may last a few hours); fever; feeling of weakness or fatigue; headache; dizziness; diarrhea; or nausea. Consult the nearest healthcare professional if you experience any of these.
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Master listing and data management are integral pre-implementation planning activities being done across hospitals and local government units, especially in the context of the upcoming COVID vaccine deployment across the country. This according to a press release by the Department of Health last 05 February 2021.
“Because of the limited supply of COVID vaccines globally, we need to do prioritization. Kaya kailangan natin i-list ang lahat ng at-risk, lahat ng vulnerable, para sila yung umpisahan natin at tayo ay magkaroon ng maayos na pagbabakuna,” said USec. Singh-Vergeire.
Master listing with demographics and health profiles will allow authorities to identify eligible population groups and will serve as basis for operational planning and creation of database needed for efficient post-vaccine monitoring, the press release said.
Read more: DOH: Prioritization and Masterlisting will ensure efficient COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment
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Photo Courtesy of DOH
Good oral health equates unlimited smiles….
February is the National Oral Health Month and this year’s theme is “Ngipin ay alagaan mula sa sinapupunan para sa magandang ngiti hangang katandaan”. This is through the Proclamation No. 599 series of 2004 by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, declaring the month of February of every year as National Dental Health Month.
Why is oral health important?
Oral Health is fundamental to overall health, well-being and quality of life. A healthy mouth enables people to eat, speak and socialize without pain, discomfort or embarrassment.
Pain from untreated dental diseases can lead to eating, sleeping, speaking, and learning problems in children and adolescents, which affect child’s social interactions, school achievement, general health, and quality of life. Rampant dental caries in children adversely affect the overall nutrition necessary for the growth of the body specifically body weight and height. That begins with the first bite and chewing the food efficiently.
What are the most common oral health illnesses of the Filipinos?
Dental Caries (tooth decay) and Periodontal Diseases (gum diseases) are the two most common oral health diseases affecting the Filipinos. 87.4 % Filipinos are suffering from dental caries while 48.3 % has gum disease (based on the 2011 National Monitoring and Evaluation Dental Survey).
Read more: Smile to ease your heart that’s aching, National Oral Health Month 2021
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Monkayo, Davao de Oro, January 25 -- The Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of DSWD XI turned over Php 435,500.00 worth of seed capital fund to the thirty beneficiaries of Calinogan Binoligay SLP Association from Barangay Casoon, Monkayo, Davao de Oro. The seed capital was used in building their own post-harvest facility for abaca production which will help the beneficiaries increase their production and boost their income.
This was announced through an official facebook post of DSWD XI and the Municipality of Monkayo on January 25.
According to Monkayo’s facebook post, Mayor Ramil Lao Gentugaya led the Ceremonial Turn Over of Seed Capital Fund to Calinogan Binilogan SLP Association at Sitio Calinogan, Casoon. The activity is a collaborative effort of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Local Government of Monkayo and the 25th I.B of the Philippine Army. Also present were Punong Barangay Anastacio C. Esguerra of Casoon, 1Lt Eddie Boy Jayona (Commander, Alpha Company, 25th IB) and DSWD Personnel.
Read more: Davao de Oro town receives seed capital for Farmer’s Livelihood
