Dr. Allison Humes Bartlett M.D.

What is pertussis?Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious airborne disease of the respiratory system and can occur in children, adolescents, and adults of any age, unless they are vaccinated. The frequency of the occurrence in the U.S. are very promising, as annually there are 5,000 to...

Center for Disease control (CDC) and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (APIC) have 14 vaccinations before the age of 2 years. This makes some parents concerned as it might overwhelm the immune system of their child. There are two options that parents can opt for•    Selective vaccine...

In the early 19th to the 20th century, parents would have been surprised to know that future generations would be free from childhood diseases. Diphtheria was then one of the most common diseases that took the lives of thousands of children, while polio left thousands of children crippled. Measles...

Commonly known as German measles, Rubella is an infection caused by a virus and its symptoms include red rashes on the body along-with fever, headache, muscle pain, a runny nose. Sometimes, swollen nymph nodes can also be seen. It is a contagious infection and can spread from one person to...

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,...

Orchitis is an inflammatory condition of the testes caused by an infection from a virus or bacteria. The infection could be because of mumps, mononucleosis or STDs. Infection due to bacteria develops from the progression of epididymitis, a tube that carries semen out of the testes. Mumps virus is...