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With the Olympics upon us, those lucky enough to be on hand in London will be coming face-to-face with a world of germs brought from all corners of the globe, so how does one stay healthy in large crowds like this?

Mayo Clinic infectious disease expert, Gregory Poland, M.D., has nine tips for staying in top form despite an international invasion of infectious disease.

*Keep your vaccines up to date: The most important ones include the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella; the seasonal flu shot; and a relatively new vaccine called Tdap, for tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis. Vaccination against pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is particularly important as epidemics spring up around the United States and the world, Dr. Poland says. England and other parts of Europe have also had measles outbreaks, he says.

*Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, particularly before leaving a restroom, eating or touching your face. Wash your hands for about 20 seconds, roughly as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday.” When visiting a public restroom, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door when leaving, to avoid recontaminating your hands with the plethora of germs on public faucets and door handles.

Full story at Newswise.

Staying healthy.

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