Checking things off my list...one shot at a time.

I had a lovely visit with the health center staff today to knock out two more immunizations from my never ending list. I'm now done with the MMR booster and the second round of Twinrix for Hep A & B. With those two off the list, I've got meningitis, polio, typhoid, and the third round of Twinrix left. Thankfully it's not much hassle to walk in to the clinic and get what I need for the shot based immunizations, but the typhoid requires a bit of planning.

I opted for the 4 capsules, but this particular prophylaxis needs to remain refrigerated. We have a refrigerator in our office, but since the medication needs to be taken every other day - I'll need to transport it home anyway. My prescription was already written and I can pick it up anytime, but sooner would be better. Apparently this one doesn't play nicely with the malaria prophylaxis I'll need to take. With months ahead, I can easily finish the typhoid course well before my trip commences.

If you haven't had the pleasure of Vivotif, which is the brand name of the typhoid prophylaxis I'm preparing for, you can always find piles of peer reviewed journal articles to sooth or skyrocket your fears. As of late, my favorite was published last year in the International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Chemotherapy. The title is Vivotif® - A 'Magic Shield' for Protection against Typhoid Fever and Delivery of Heterologous Antigens

It's not often you find the word "magic" in the title of a journal article... click HERE if you're up for the challenge of reading it. Vivotif is an attenuated live oral vaccine.

In other news, my passport did arrive on December 8th. I was quite excited about that. Hooray for the USPS. Additionally, my friend Theresa has settled her flights as well so we'll be on our trips simultaneously.


To prevent the possibility of chickening out on the Kilimanjaro trek, it's definitely time to begin ramping up the hiking schedule.




It's been quite cold lately, but I have managed to get in a few 6am hikes these last few days thanks to visiting researchers in our area. Nothing like sunrise above the riviera.