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Hammaker: How the COVID-19 vaccine works
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At Vail Health this week, we received our first shipment of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, and after it is approved by the FDA with an Emergency Use Authorization, we expect to receive the Moderna mRNA vaccine in the coming weeks.
While the vaccine is new and has been produced quickly, mRNA technology has been around for many years. The vaccine essentially takes a piece messenger RNA from the viral cell and causes our bodies to produce the protein that triggers the immune response and antibodies to ward off infection.
An mRNA vaccine does not actually contain the virus itself. An analogy is to think of it as an email sent to the muscle cells at the injection site that shows what a piece of viral protein looks like and then — like a Snapchat message — it disappears. Our bodies will develop an immune response to kill the viral protein and remember how to recognize it in the future. It is an amazing technology and a breakthrough in modern medicine.
Read the full article at VailDaily.com >
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What’s The Connection Between Phone Addiction And Teen Depression?
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The Bitter Truth About Sugar
We are a nation of sugar addicts. In 1900, the average American consumed 4 pounds of sugar each year. The current average sugar consumption in our country is an astronomical 150-170 pounds per person each year. This hard truth has contributed to an obesity rate that is 35.7% for adults.
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Body Composition: Why It Matters More Than a Number on the Scale
In the world of health and fitness, weight often steals the spotlight. We celebrate weight loss milestones, obsess over numbers on the scale, and let weight loss/gain dictate how we feel about our progress. But there's a far more accurate and meaningful indicator of health and fitness: body composition.