Mexico has approved the use of the world’s first vaccine against dengue fever.
International health news
- Mexico approves the first-ever vaccine for dengue fever – Mexico is the first country in the world that approves the use of the dengue fever vaccine. 400 million people per year are infected around the globe. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease.
- NHS teams up with dating app Tinder to raise awareness about organ donations – over the next two weeks users will see The Wait campaign logo on the profiles of celebrity users and when they swipe right they will be invited to sign the NHS organ donation register.
- Happiness does not enhance health and longevity – most people believe happiness brings good health however, a study published in the Lancet showed that happiness does not have any direct effect on mortality.
Health advice
- Why you should eat pumpkin seeds – pumpkin seeds contain magnesium, zinc, copper and selenium. Eating pumpkin seeds decreases the risks of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Country health updates
- AUS: Some Nurofen products are no longer available – an Australian court ordered Nurofen to stop selling several versions of the popular painkiller because of misleading claims. The versions were identical to the Nurofen standard ibuprofen pills but nearly twice as expensive.
- Japan: The Japanese population has the world’s longest life expectancy – this is attributed to their diet of fish and vegetables, and active lifestyles.
- USA: University of Illinois researchers use Google data to combat the spread of STDs – Google gives researchers the opportunity to examine specific search terms that became especially popular during a previous disease spike.
Images: [NIAID]