Flu Shot: Good but Not Perfect
13 years, 5 months ago

Flu Shot: Good but Not Perfect

ABC News  

A new review of the flu shot’s effectiveness has found considerable room for improvement. “The ongoing public health burden caused by seasonal influenza and the potential global effect of a severe pandemic suggests an urgent need for a new generation of more highly effective and cross-protective vaccines that can be manufactured rapidly,” Michael Osterholm at the University of Minnesota and colleagues reported today in Lancet Infectious Diseases. “In the meantime, we should maintain public support for present vaccines that are the best intervention available for seasonal influenza.” The ever-evolving flu virus complicates the development of vaccines, which are strain-specific. “That’s why we need a new vaccine every year,” said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “While we hope and wait for a perfect vaccine, we’ve got a good one that’s capable of preventing influenza and its complication,” Schaffner said.

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History of this topic

Health Council: no COVID-19 vaccine needed for adults under 50 who get flu shot
2 days, 11 hours ago

Health Council: no COVID-19 vaccine needed for adults under 50 who get flu shot

NL Times  

The Dutch Health Council has recommended that people aged 18 to 49 who receive the annual flu vaccine should not get the COVID-19 shot this fall. According to the council, the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 for this group is now lower than in previous years, making the added benefit of the vaccination limited, RTL reports. However, …

Chennai, Mumbai on high alert for flu: What you need to know
4 months ago

Chennai, Mumbai on high alert for flu: What you need to know

New Indian Express  

Flu season in India typically occurs during the monsoon and post-monsoon months, as the increased humidity following cooler weather creates an environment conducive to the spread of viruses. Types of flu found in India In India, several strains of the flu or influenza virus are commonly found, particularly during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Influenza B Influenza B viruses are …

Revealed: The common medications that make your flu shot less effective
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Revealed: The common medications that make your flu shot less effective

Daily Mail  

Everyone is asked to get the flu shot every year to slash their risk of infection and hospitalization. While the flu shot is widely recommended, doctors are advising people to be careful about the medications they use before or after they get vaccinated because some drugs could decrease the vaccine's efficacy. There are more than 295 drugs that can interact …

Don’t wait for a holiday surge. Now is a good time to get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Don’t wait for a holiday surge. Now is a good time to get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — If you missed the early fall push for flu and COVID-19 vaccines, it’s not too late. “Why not get a vaccine that’s going to help you reduce that risk?” Who needs a fall COVID-19 or flu vaccination? In addition, the CDC is recommending that people 65 and older get a second COVID-19 shot six months after their fall …

Flu shots are doing OK vs. virus, US numbers indicate
1 year, 1 month ago

Flu shots are doing OK vs. virus, US numbers indicate

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Early estimates suggest flu shots are performing OK in the current U.S. winter flu season. The vaccines were around 40% effective in preventing adults from getting sick enough from the flu that they had to go to a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital, health officials said during a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccines meeting Wednesday. …

Newest COVID shots are 54% effective in preventing symptoms, CDC finds
1 year, 1 month ago

Newest COVID shots are 54% effective in preventing symptoms, CDC finds

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The latest versions of COVID-19 vaccines were 54% effective at preventing symptomatic infection in adults, according to the first U.S. study to assess how well the shots work. The 54% finding is similar to what’s been reported in other countries, and it’s also about what was reported for an earlier vaccine version, said the Ruth Link-Gelles of …

The Long Quest for a Universal Flu Vaccine Finally Takes Its First Steps
1 year, 4 months ago

The Long Quest for a Universal Flu Vaccine Finally Takes Its First Steps

Wired  

At state health departments and academic medical centers, and at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, epidemiologists are intently watching two sets of data: the number of flu cases and the number of Americans taking flu shots. But there’s one more piece of data that will let analysts know how this flu season will unroll: whether the vaccine …

Doctors urge elderly adults to get triple-whammy of Covid, flu and RSV vaccines this winter despite 'miniscule' risk of strokes flagged by FDA
1 year, 5 months ago

Doctors urge elderly adults to get triple-whammy of Covid, flu and RSV vaccines this winter despite 'miniscule' risk of strokes flagged by FDA

Daily Mail  

Doctors have urged older adults to roll up their sleeves for three different vaccines this fall - calling the tenuous links to higher stroke risk ‘minuscule’. But experts in heart health and infectious diseases told DailyMail.com that the risk associated with getting both flu and Covid vaccines, as well as the new RSV vaccine at once, is so small that …

Flu, RSV and Covid starting to circulate in the US amid fears of ‘tripledemic’
1 year, 5 months ago

Flu, RSV and Covid starting to circulate in the US amid fears of ‘tripledemic’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Experts have been urging Americans to stay up-to-date on their Covid, …

FDA’s advisors back plan to simplify COVID-19 vaccinations
2 years, 2 months ago

FDA’s advisors back plan to simplify COVID-19 vaccinations

LA Times  

Syringes with COVDI-19 vaccines are prepared at a free public clinic in Lynwood last year. “We’re still protected against severe disease, thank goodness,” even after the latest Omicron strains cropped up, said FDA advisor Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The first step: The FDA advisory panel voted unanimously that people should get the same …

It’s flu vaccine time and seniors need revved-up shots
2 years, 5 months ago

It’s flu vaccine time and seniors need revved-up shots

Associated Press  

Doctors have a message for vaccine-weary Americans: Don’t skip your flu shot this fall -- and seniors, ask for a special extra-strength kind. This year we know flu is back,” said influenza specialist Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Here’s what to know: REVVED-UP SHOTS FOR SENIORS As people get older, their immune system doesn’t respond …

It's flu vaccine time and seniors need revved-up shots
2 years, 5 months ago

It's flu vaccine time and seniors need revved-up shots

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This year we know flu is back,” said influenza …

The Best Time To Get Your 2022 Flu Shot, According To A Vaccine Expert
2 years, 7 months ago

The Best Time To Get Your 2022 Flu Shot, According To A Vaccine Expert

Huff Post  

VioletaStoimenova via Getty Images It's officially flu season. The flu kills tens of thousands of people every year ― the CDC noted that it has caused “12,000-52,000 deaths annually between 2010 and 2020.” Below, a vaccine expert shares when to get your flu shot this year and why it’s important to get the jab. “I tell people, ‘don’t necessarily get …

CDC panel recommends US seniors get souped-up flu vaccines
2 years, 9 months ago

CDC panel recommends US seniors get souped-up flu vaccines

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Americans 65 and older should get newer, souped-up flu vaccines because regular shots don’t provide them enough protection, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday. The panel unanimously recommended certain flu vaccines that might offer more or longer protection for seniors, whose weakened immune systems don’t respond as well to traditional shots. “These influenza vaccines are better but …

This season’s flu vaccine seems to be a poor match, preliminary CDC data shows, but it has been a mild flu season
3 years ago

This season’s flu vaccine seems to be a poor match, preliminary CDC data shows, but it has been a mild flu season

CNN  

CNN — The flu vaccine has not been a great a match for the predominant viruses this season, preliminary data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows – but the season isn’t over, and the estimate could change, the agency told CNN on Thursday. CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund also told CNN in an email that the agency …

Flu is making a comeback in the U.S. after an unusual year off
3 years, 3 months ago

Flu is making a comeback in the U.S. after an unusual year off

LA Times  

Nurse Megan Chamberlain gives a flu shot to Anthony Devitt at a vaccine clinic in Brattleboro, Vt., on Oct. 26. “This is setting itself up to be more of a normal flu season,” said Lynnette Brammer, who tracks flu-like illnesses for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s a sad reminder of how severe flu can be.” During …

Pfizer's COVID-19 booster shot is safe, 95.6 percent effective against virus in patients 16 years and older
3 years, 5 months ago

Pfizer's COVID-19 booster shot is safe, 95.6 percent effective against virus in patients 16 years and older

Firstpost  

Several countries have already approved Covid-19 booster shots to increase immunity in people who have already been vaccinated, but whose protection may have dipped after several months, per some studies. A booster shot of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech is 95.6 percent effective against symptomatic infection, according to trial data published by the makers on Thursday. The clinical phase …

The Latest: Biden makes economic case for vaccinations
3 years, 5 months ago

The Latest: Biden makes economic case for vaccinations

Associated Press  

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Il. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: — President Biden making economic case for vaccination — UK eases travel restrictions further by slashing ‘red list’ — US health experts urge flu shots to avoid ‘twindemic’ — Pfizer’s request to OK shots for kids a relief for parents ___ — See all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ …

US health experts urge flu shots to avoid ‘twindemic’
3 years, 5 months ago

US health experts urge flu shots to avoid ‘twindemic’

Associated Press  

The U.S. is gearing up in case of a bad flu season on top of the continuing COVID-19 crisis, with a plea Thursday for Americans to get vaccinated against both. “We are preparing for the return of the flu.” Flu cases dropped to historically low levels globally over the pandemic, as restrictions designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus …

The pace of first Covid-19 vaccine doses is the slowest in two months, CDC data shows, worrying health professionals as flu season approaches
3 years, 6 months ago

The pace of first Covid-19 vaccine doses is the slowest in two months, CDC data shows, worrying health professionals as flu season approaches

CNN  

CNN — The pace of people getting first doses of Covid-19 vaccines is the slowest it has been since July 23, according to data released Wednesday from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “If somebody comes in wanting the flu vaccine and they haven’t had a Covid vaccine then we can encourage them to get both, or vice-versa,” …

Does the flu vaccine affect my chances of getting COVID-19?
4 years, 5 months ago

Does the flu vaccine affect my chances of getting COVID-19?

Associated Press  

Does the flu vaccine affect my chances of getting COVID-19? Not to mention the confusion factor: The illnesses have such similar early symptoms that people who get the flu may mistakenly think they have COVID-19, said Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the flu vaccine for everyone …

Flu shot: This season’s offers ‘substantial protection’ in a season tough on children
5 years, 1 month ago

Flu shot: This season’s offers ‘substantial protection’ in a season tough on children

CNN  

CNN — The flu season is still in full swing and it’s likely to continue for several more weeks, and if you haven’t gotten a flu shot yet, you should, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine doesn’t offer perfect protection – it never does – but a new CDC report says it has significantly …

US on track for one of the worst flu seasons in decades
5 years, 2 months ago

US on track for one of the worst flu seasons in decades

CNN  

CNN — This flu season is shaping up to be one of the worst in decades, according to the United States’ top infectious disease doctor. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said while it’s impossible to predict how the flu will play out, the season so far is on track to be as …

Here's Why You Really Need A Flu Shot
5 years, 3 months ago

Here's Why You Really Need A Flu Shot

NPR  

Here's Why You Really Need A Flu Shot Enlarge this image toggle caption SDI Productions/Getty Images SDI Productions/Getty Images Thanksgiving leftovers are a distant memory, and December's extra travel, shopping and family commitments are already straining nerves, budgets and immune systems. "Giving influenza vaccine to people with heart disease, for example, is as important as giving them a statin," Schaffner …

Flu shot more likely to save your life than not getting it, says influenza researcher
5 years, 7 months ago

Flu shot more likely to save your life than not getting it, says influenza researcher

ABC  

A flu expert says getting vaccinated against the infectious disease is more likely to save your life than without it, yet only around 30-40 per cent of people are taking up the shot. Key points: A Griffith University professor says only 30-40 per cent of people get vaccinated against influenza Professor Paul Van Buynder says the vaccine is only 60 …

Most US adults have not gotten a flu shot for this mild season
6 years, 3 months ago

Most US adults have not gotten a flu shot for this mild season

CNN  

CNN — Most US adults have not gotten a flu shot this season, according to a new survey from NORC, a research organization at the University of Chicago. Looking at the new NORC report, Webby worries about “the quarter of people 60-plus that are not getting vaccinated.” Adults over 65, children under 2 and individuals with medical conditions not only …

Op-Ed: Save a grandma. Get your flu shot
6 years, 4 months ago

Op-Ed: Save a grandma. Get your flu shot

LA Times  

A natural disaster is bearing down on our country, one assured to take the lives of thousands and hospitalize tens of thousands more: the annual flu epidemic. But getting a flu shot also does something else: It helps protect the people around you who are most vulnerable to serious flu illness, particularly the very old and the very young. Most …

Flu shots: A pinch in the arm, but not always in your wallet
6 years, 6 months ago

Flu shots: A pinch in the arm, but not always in your wallet

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — It’s flu shot season, but the pinch of a shot doesn’t have to also hurt your wallet. Roughly 145 million Americans get flu shots each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Affordable Care Act required insurers to cover the cost of patients’ flu shots without charging a copay, although some insurers only …

Even ‘bad match’ flu shots are still effective
6 years, 11 months ago

Even ‘bad match’ flu shots are still effective

CNN  

Story highlights Based on US vaccination rate averages, the flu shot saves 61,000 people from death Vaccination also prevents 129,000 hospitalizations CNN — Each winter, many people wonder whether its worth getting a flu shot while health officials repeatedly warn against not getting one. Based on the model, if more people got a flu shot, say half of the US …

FluMist set to return for next flu season
7 years, 1 month ago

FluMist set to return for next flu season

CNN  

Story highlights FluMist is recommended for the 2018-19 season for healthy, non-pregnant people between ages 2 and 49 It was not recommended for the past two seasons CNN — Flu vaccinations may become painless again. However, a 2015-16 influenza vaccine effectiveness study found FluMist to be overall 46% effective – with zero effectiveness against one strain of flu – compared …

Got Your Flu Shot Yet? Consider This A Reminder
7 years, 2 months ago

Got Your Flu Shot Yet? Consider This A Reminder

NPR  

Got Your Flu Shot Yet? Consider This A Reminder Enlarge this image toggle caption Mladen Zivkovic/Getty Images Mladen Zivkovic/Getty Images Marian Smith somehow missed getting a flu shot this year, which is unlike her — in the past, she always got one. "All types of patient reminders and recall are likely to be effective," says Julie Jacobson Vann from the …

No, it’s not too late to get a flu shot
7 years, 2 months ago

No, it’s not too late to get a flu shot

LA Times  

Is it too late to get a flu shot? The good news, according to health experts, is that it’s not too late to reduce your risk by getting a flu shot. The FluMist nasal vaccine offered in the past has not been very effective against H1N1 strains in recent years, so the CDC says it “should not be used.” You …

Flu season: Why you might get sick even if you've been vaccinated
7 years, 9 months ago

Flu season: Why you might get sick even if you've been vaccinated

ABC  

The man in this photo looks appalling: a middle-aged male suffering, all tucked up in his chair-bed ready to moan the day away. "It's based on what strains have been circulating over the past few years in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, each one is guided by what's been happening in the other," Professor Stocks said. Influenza rates in SA …

Flu virus shifting east, hitting older adults hardest
8 years, 1 month ago

Flu virus shifting east, hitting older adults hardest

CNN  

Story highlights The highest percentage of flu hospitalizations has been in those older than 50 "The only thing we can count on is that the flu is unpredictable," an official says CNN — Flu activity decreased slightly but remained at high levels across the United States during the week ending February 18, according to a report based on preliminary data …

Local authorities advise against skipping flu shot
8 years, 4 months ago

Local authorities advise against skipping flu shot

Associated Press  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against choosing the nasal spray flu vaccination option for the 2016-17 flu season. “This year the CDC recommends people receive the flu vaccine through injection and not the nasal spray,” Martha Marquez, Harris County Public Health media specialist, said. Whether a person requires two half-doses, a trivalent or a quadrivalent vaccine, Phillips …

Getting a flu shot? It may be better to wait
8 years, 6 months ago

Getting a flu shot? It may be better to wait

CNN  

Story highlights Marketing for flu shots has become almost year-round It's unclear how long protection lasts, and flu season peaks in mid-winter Experts say an early vaccination is still better than none at all The pharmacy chain pitches started in August: Come in and get your flu shot. “It’s a way to get people into the store to buy other …

Flu vaccine may cut risk of heart disease and death
12 years, 5 months ago

Flu vaccine may cut risk of heart disease and death

The Hindu  

Getting a flu shot this season may not only lower your risk of influenza, but it may also help protect against heart disease, according to a new review. Two Toronto-based researchers presented studies at the 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress that found that the influenza vaccine could be an important treatment for maintaining heart health and warding off cardiovascular events like …

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