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Most childhood vaccines are 90–99% effective in preventing disease. Side effects are rarely serious.
Cytomegalovirus affects nearly the same amount of newborns every year as Down syndrome.
In 1844, Charles Goodyear obtained the first patent for a rubber condom.
All adults should have their cholesterol levels checked once every 5 years. During 2009–2010, 69.4% of Americans age 20 and older reported having their cholesterol checked within the last five years.
It is believed that the Incas used anesthesia. Evidence supports the theory that shamans chewed cocoa leaves and drilled holes into the heads of patients (letting evil spirits escape), spitting into the wounds they made. The mixture of cocaine, saliva, and resin numbed the site enough to allow hours of drilling.