Dr. Lori D. Witcher M. D.

What is impetigo?Impetigo is also known as "school sores". It is a common bacterial skin infection that occurs in infants and young children, especially preschoolers. Although it is common among children, adults can get impetigo, too.The two types of bacteria that can cause impetigo...

What is a vaccine?Vaccines are products that enable a person to develop immunity against certain diseases. A vaccine can be given through needle injections, by aerosol, or by mouth. The polio vaccine is given in the form of mouth drops that contain live but weakened organisms. The vaccine gets into...

It is natural to be concerned about whether immunization is safe for your child or not. However, doctors recommend getting children immunized because vaccines are thoroughly checked before they are licensed for use. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to protect...

The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is recommended for all children as it is the safest, most effective way to protect children against three diseases that can have serious, even fatal, consequences.  Measles is a highly contagious viral infection whose initial symptoms include fever,...

Croup is a common respiratory problem prevailing in young children that tends to develop in the fall or winter. It describes a deep and barking cough that is caused by an upper respiratory infection that blocks a child's ability to breathe. Its characteristic symptom is harsh coughing...

What the research showsSeveral studies have been carried out among children and adults to try and establish if there really is a link between the two, but the largest of them all was recently published in  the Journal of the American Medical Association.The study was conducted to establish any link...