Who was Typhoid Mary?

Mary Mallon (September 23, 1869 – November 11, 1938), also known as Typhoid Mary, was an Irish-born cook believed to have infected 51 people, three of whom died, with typhoid fever, and the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic carrier of the disease. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon

Mary Mallon was born in 1869 in Ireland and emigrated to the US in 1884. She had worked in a variety of domestic positions for wealthy families prior to settling into her career as a cook. As a healthy carrier of Salmonella typhi her nickname of “Typhoid Mary” had become synonymous with the spread of disease, as many were infected due to her denial of being ill. She was forced into quarantine on two separate occasions on North Brother Island for a total of 26 years and died alone without friends, having evidently found consolation in her religion to which she gave her faith and loyalty. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3959940/)

Typhoid

Typhoid is a bacterial infection that can lead to a high fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting. It is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. The infection is often passed on through contaminated food and drinking water, and it is more prevalent in places where hand washing is less frequent. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156859

Vaccination

The typhoid vaccination is not 100% effective. Typhoid vaccines lose effectiveness over time. The injectable vaccine requires a booster every 2 years, and the oral vaccine requires a booster every 5 years. If you were vaccinated in the past, ask your doctor if it is time for a booster vaccination. Taking antibiotics will not prevent typhoid fever; they only help treat it.

Because it is rare in Ireland, vaccination against typhoid fever is not routinely given as part of the childhood immunisation schedule. … Vaccination (or immunisation) is usually given by an injection. https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/az/t/typhoid-fever/symptoms-of-typhoid-fever.html. Typhoid made an unwelcome return to Ireland in 2019 due to an increase in cases among travellers returning from Pakistan, according to the Health Service Executive. There were 23 cases of the water-borne infection, 12 of which involved recent travel to Pakistan. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/typhoid-makes-an-unwelcome-return-to-ireland-says-hse-1.4042923

CDC recommends vaccination for people traveling to places where typhoid fever is common, such as South Asia, especially India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh.

Two typhoid fever vaccines are available in the United States.

• Oral vaccine: Can be given to people at least 6 years old. It consists of four pills taken every other day and should be finished at least 1 week before travel.
• Injectable vaccine: Can be given to people at least 2 years old and should be given at least 2 weeks before travel.https://www.cdc.gov/typhoid-fever/typhoid-vaccination.html