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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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Cass Barham and Sarah Crabtree Honored As Recipients of Vail Health Elevate Award
Cass Barham and Sarah Crabtree, both lab techs at Vail Health Hospital, have been named recipients of the Vail Health Elevate Award. Vail Health created the Elevate Award in June 2022 to give patients and their families an opportunity to nominate and thank employees who have touched their lives in some way.
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What Are the Benefits of Forest Bathing?
The smell of the pine trees. The sounds of birds chirping far off in the distance. The feeling of a cool breeze across skin. The sight of water cascading over a rock. Fully tuning into your senses in nature ignites a deeper awareness and an otherworldly sense of belonging, eliciting a feeling of being connected to something bigger than yourself.
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Myth Busters: Allergy Edition
As a board certified allergist/immunologist practicing for nearly 13 years, I often hear the same questions and concerns from patients. Allergies affect so many of us, whether we’re sniffling and sneezing or worrying about a child's food reaction. But there's a lot of misinformation out there that can make managing allergies confusing and even scary.