The Value of Vaccinations

August 7th, 2009

The story:

The last few months has been filled with stories of swine flu outbreaks at places like summer camps, and as students prepare to start the school year, many parents and teachers are wondering what to do about vaccinating their children and themselves against swine flu.

The hook:

University of Maine Professor Carol Kim of the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology conducts disease studies with zebrafish, and hopes to better understand the numerous immune factors that augment, extend, and prolong the immune response to infection.

Kim is available to discuss any of the following topics:

• How do vaccines work?
• How do viruses spread from animals to humans?
• Why do we need to get flu shots and/or vaccines?
• How and why do vaccine formulas keep changing?

More information about her research is available at www.umaine.edu/bmmb/faculty/index.php/profile/carol_kim

Contact information:

Professor Carol Kim can be reached at (207) 581-2803. For assistance in reaching Kim, please call Aimee Dolloff at (207) 581-3777.