Health Buzz: Whooping Cough Risk Jumps Without Vaccination and Other Health News

Whooping Cough Risk Jumps Without Vaccination

A new study revealed that 1 in 20 children who don't get vaccinated against whooping cough gets infected, Reuters reported today. That's more than 20 times the risk that vaccinated kids face, researchers at Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Institute for Health Research found. Concern over vaccine safety has some parents avoiding the shots for whooping cough, also known as pertussis, which causes a severe cough that's particularly dangerous in children. Whooping cough cases have spiked recently, the Associated Press reports. The study, published in June's issue of Pediatrics, attributed 11 percent of whooping cough cases to parents who refused vaccination, according to AP.

A U.S. court ruling in February found vaccines not responsible for causing autism in the cases of three children who developed the disorder. In April, U.S. News's Bernadine Healy detailed the vaccines-and-autism debate. Here's more on vaccine safety questions and onwhether and when to vaccinate your kids.

3 Tips for Avoiding Tick Bites and Lyme Disease

Tick-borne infections have been getting media attention lately, as summer is bringing out the tiny bugs. One new report announced a rare case of deer tick virus. A New York man died from brain inflammation after being bitten by a deer tick that carries the virus, which doesn't normally cause illness in humans. Much more common is Lyme disease, an infection carried by one third of deer ticks in at least one state (Minnesota), according to tests conducted between 2005 and 2008. Minnesota's number of Lyme disease cases has doubled in recent years.

Last summer, U.S News's January Payne wrote up 3 tips for avoiding tick bites and Lyme disease, which include using DEET or other insect repellent on clothing and using pesticides to eliminate ticks near your home.

Also, learn of the debate over chronic Lyme disease, which some say continues with debilitating effects long after the tick bite.

10-Week Workout: Talking Motivation With Matthew Reeve

If you've been following U.S. News's 10-week workout, you're now well over a month into the program; its goal is to lay the groundwork for a sustainable fitness habit for grown-ups. The routine was designed by Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and directs PRIMA, the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes. Its four components address flexibility, aerobic fitness, load-carrying exercise, and equilibrium and balance.

If you need motivation, U.S. News's Katherine Hobson advises working out for a cause. She interviewed Matthew Reeve, son of the actor Christopher Reeve. The 29-year-old, who has never been a runner, started training this month for the New York Marathon, which is in November. He'll run to raise money for spinal cord injury research through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation's Team Reeve.

For more ways to get motivated, check out Hobson's tips, which include how to make your exercise routine more fun and, well, less routine. Can't find time for the gym? She suggests making it unnecessary by working out at home. Have a friend join you, she adds, for motivational support.

Consider how to make your workout quick and sweaty. And learn why even young people should improve their balance.