Flu is surging, and it's up to GPs and microbiologists to stay on top of the virus' changing nature
5 years, 10 months ago

Flu is surging, and it's up to GPs and microbiologists to stay on top of the virus' changing nature

ABC  

Each year, millions of influenza vaccinations are produced and injected in Australia and then, like clockwork, another batch is brewed and the cycle repeats. Key points: Experts say identifying new mutations of flu faster on a local level is the best way to improve immunity Flu this year is surging, with people presenting with flu-like symptoms at twice the five-year average across two week in April and May Vaccine production has already surpassed 12 million units in 2019, up from 8.3 million in 2017 But why is the flu changing, and how do scientists keep up? Dr Booy said new vaccines were not bulletproof, evidenced by the last case of influenza drift in 2017 which causing 1,255 flu-related deaths, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Dr Booy said if scientists can create a vaccine that attacks the stem of the flu virus that rests under the surface proteins, the effectiveness of vaccines would be significantly boosted. Identifying new mutations of flu faster on a local level is the best way to improve immunity in the immediate future, Dr Booy said.

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History of this topic

Christmas FLU-NAMI: Experts issue urgent warning as cases surge across UK - call for return of social distancing to protect vulnerable
3 months ago

Christmas FLU-NAMI: Experts issue urgent warning as cases surge across UK - call for return of social distancing to protect vulnerable

Daily Mail  

Experts have issued an urgent warning ahead of tomorrow's festivities amid spiralling flu infections — calling for 'lockdown' style measures to protect the most vulnerable. Rising pressures come despite data showing less than one in four frontline NHS staff have had the flu vaccine amid fears this year's version is less effective than hoped. Data suggests the flu jab used …

The flu shot is different this year, thanks to COVID
5 months, 1 week ago

The flu shot is different this year, thanks to COVID

NPR  

The flu shot is different this year, thanks to COVID toggle caption Mark J. Terrill/AP This year’s flu shot will be missing a strain of influenza it’s protected against for more than a decade. One reason COVID mitigation efforts were so effective at eliminating B/Yamagata is there was already a fair amount of immunity in the population against this strain …

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 …

H3N2, Flu: Cocktail of Viruses Not Alarming but Seasonal, Says ICMR-National Influenza Centre Head
2 years ago

H3N2, Flu: Cocktail of Viruses Not Alarming but Seasonal, Says ICMR-National Influenza Centre Head

News 18  

The “cocktail of viruses” in the air, which has increased infection from H3N2, Type B influenza, adenovirus and Covid-19, is not alarming but a usual trend, the chief of ICMR-run National Influenza Centre has told News18.com. Adenovirus Circulation Not ‘Bad’ Potdar, who heads the influenza division under NIV, said the adenovirus circulation is “not bad” and “around 6% positivity was …

Flu vaccinations are being urged as cases rise. So, how effective is this winter's jab?
2 years, 10 months ago

Flu vaccinations are being urged as cases rise. So, how effective is this winter's jab?

ABC  

Australia had a couple of virtually flu-free years, but the disease has bounced back — and then some — over the past few weeks. "We've got around 600,000 children under the age of two who've never seen flu, so that's quite a sizeable population of young kids who are entirely susceptible," Sheena Sullivan, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at the Doherty …

A surge in influenza cases in Queensland prompts doctors to issue vaccine warning for children and vulnerable groups
2 years, 10 months ago

A surge in influenza cases in Queensland prompts doctors to issue vaccine warning for children and vulnerable groups

ABC  

Experts have sounded a warning about this year's flu season, with concerns young children will be particularly vulnerable to life-threatening complications. Key points: More than 400 people have been hospitalised with influenza in Queensland this flu season Doctors say children under two are particularly susceptible One expert says flu vaccines should be "essential" in vulnerable settings Queensland flu notifications for …

Experts attribute Victoria's COVID-19 rate rise to change in weather, waning immunity
2 years, 10 months ago

Experts attribute Victoria's COVID-19 rate rise to change in weather, waning immunity

ABC  

As Victorians emerged from two years largely defined by lockdowns, the start of 2022 was marked by the sharp rise and fall of cases as a wave of Omicron swept through. She said there wasn't an "appetite" to bring back restrictions like indoor mask-wearing, but encouraged people to take steps to protect themselves by wearing "high quality, well-ventilating" masks. COVID-19 …

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 …

Queenslanders urged to get flu shot as authorities brace for season dealing with influenza and COVID-19
3 years, 2 months ago

Queenslanders urged to get flu shot as authorities brace for season dealing with influenza and COVID-19

ABC  

Queensland experts are bracing for a double whammy of COVID-19 and flu as the weather cools down leading into winter and international borders reopen, putting even more pressure on the state's stretched hospital system. Key points: Authorities anticipate a flu resurgence in 2022 with the reopening of Queensland's borders People need to have a separate influenza shot on top of …

Australia's path from pandemic to endemic, and what 'living with COVID' could mean
3 years, 5 months ago

Australia's path from pandemic to endemic, and what 'living with COVID' could mean

ABC  

The COVID-19 pandemic won't end with a bang, but more likely a fizzle — and a long, protracted one at that. "I don't know if we're going to wake up one day and say, 'Oh, it's over now,'" says Eddie Holmes, an evolutionary virologist at the University of Sydney. Key points: Most experts agree eradicating COVID-19 is now almost certainly …

To fight Covid-19 and flu, joint vaccine clinics emerge
3 years, 6 months ago

To fight Covid-19 and flu, joint vaccine clinics emerge

CNN  

CNN — They’re a fall staple in most communities across the United States: flu shot clinics. “There has been an expectation that the flu would be worse this year than in year’s past, however our county is at a critical stage with COVID-19 transmission rates being at record levels, so that has been our main focus, in preventing outbreaks and …

Scientists have just gotten closer to creating a universal flu vaccine
4 years, 3 months ago

Scientists have just gotten closer to creating a universal flu vaccine

Salon  

A new report reveals that scientists may have taken the first crucial steps toward developing a vaccine that will treat not specific strains of influenza, but all of them. The new study, which was first published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine on Monday, describes a universal flu vaccine candidate that could change the way we vaccinate ourselves against influenza. …

How Covid-19 is changing the flu
4 years, 5 months ago

How Covid-19 is changing the flu

BBC  

How Covid-19 is changing the flu Getty Images Humanity hasn’t always lived with the flu. Getty Images A universal flu vaccine might give us immunity to the disease no matter how much it mutates from season to season “We don't really understand it, but it may have to and may have to do with a little bit of changes in …

US coronavirus: Measures may help blunt flu season
4 years, 6 months ago

US coronavirus: Measures may help blunt flu season

CNN  

CNN — The United States may not see a “double whammy” this fall of both the coronavirus and influenza, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. They also noted that the summer circulation of the flu is “currently at historical lows.” This will be the most important flu season in the country’s history, said US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. “We need …

CDC chief says there could be second, possibly worse coronavirus outbreak this winter
4 years, 11 months ago

CDC chief says there could be second, possibly worse coronavirus outbreak this winter

CNN  

CNN — A second coronavirus outbreak could emerge this winter in conjunction with the flu season to make for an even more dire health crisis, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Washington Post in an interview. White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx was asked during Tuesday’s news briefing about Redfield’s comments …

When should I get the flu vaccine, and does coronavirus change things?
5 years ago

When should I get the flu vaccine, and does coronavirus change things?

ABC  

With coronavirus now spreading in parts of the Australian community, many people have been wondering whether they need to get their flu jab early this year. Key points: Australians are recommended to get their flu shot from mid-April It's unclear how much seasonal flu could worsen COVID-19, but experts want to avoid people having both Flu vaccinations are free for …

Flu shot: There’s a mismatch this season – and it’s not good news for children
5 years, 2 months ago

Flu shot: There’s a mismatch this season – and it’s not good news for children

CNN  

CNN — This year’s flu vaccine is “not a very good match” for a common strain of the flu that’s especially tough on children, according to the nation’s top infectious disease doctor. “It’s not a very good match for B/Victoria,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, referring to the strain. Fauci said …

People are getting paid to be infected with the flu
5 years, 4 months ago

People are getting paid to be infected with the flu

CNN  

CNN — It’s widely accepted that the flu and the torrent of uncomfortable symptoms that come with it are to be avoided at all costs. For a handsome sum of up to $3,300, 80 adult participants across four research facilities will receive a nasal spray with the virus and spend at least one week at an inpatient facility until they’ve …

‘Groundbreaking advance’ in flu treatment could save thousands of lives, research suggests
5 years, 5 months ago

‘Groundbreaking advance’ in flu treatment could save thousands of lives, research suggests

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. Successful animal experiments of an antiviral drug which induces mutations in the genetic material of …

Flu vaccine program brought forward as surge in cases surprises health authorities
5 years, 11 months ago

Flu vaccine program brought forward as surge in cases surprises health authorities

ABC  

An unexpected surge in flu cases across the nation has prompted health authorities in South Australia to begin early distribution of free vaccines in an effort to curb the spread. Key points: Flu numbers began surging in summer, much earlier than expected South Australia is leading the per capita trend, with cases almost quadrupling Free vaccines are being distributed earlier …

Tackling vaccine fears and misinformation key to preventing next pandemic, WHO says
6 years ago

Tackling vaccine fears and misinformation key to preventing next pandemic, WHO says

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 Addressing misinformation about vaccines will be key to preventing the next …

This year’s flu vaccine effective against top influenza strains
6 years, 1 month ago

This year’s flu vaccine effective against top influenza strains

Salon  

This article originally appeared on Healthline, the world’s second-largest health information website, which brings you transparent health information so you can make confident decisions for living well. This prediction is based on: information about how the viruses spread during the past year which previous virus strains caused the most illness how well the previous season’s flu vaccine “matched” the viruses …

Why did the flu kill 80,000 Americans last year?
6 years, 5 months ago

Why did the flu kill 80,000 Americans last year?

Salon  

The 2017-2018 flu season was historically severe. Forecasting flu, producing vaccine Against this background of antigenic change, every year the World Health Organization predicts which strains of flu virus will be circulating during the next flu season, and vaccines are formulated based on this information. When people receive vaccines produced from these egg-adapted viruses, their immune system learns to target …

First child in Florida has died of flu this season, state reports
6 years, 5 months ago

First child in Florida has died of flu this season, state reports

CNN  

Story highlights It's not uncommon to see a small number of deaths at this time of year, expert says A less severe strain of flu virus has been more prevalent so far this season Other states have reported flu-related deaths in adults including Kentucky CNN — A Florida child died due to flu-related illness during the week ended October 6, …

Fact check: Are your chances of getting the flu after a vaccination only decreased by 1 to 2 per cent?
6 years, 8 months ago

Fact check: Are your chances of getting the flu after a vaccination only decreased by 1 to 2 per cent?

ABC  

The claim Australia is well into the midst of winter, and with the cold weather comes flu. That review found the flu vaccine decreased the rate of flu infection from 2.3 per cent to 0.9 per cent in healthy adults. The very study quoted by Professor Del Mar found that the flu vaccine had an estimated effectiveness rate of 59 …

What you need to know about Fluad and FluZone High Dose, the new flu vaccines for over-65s
7 years, 1 month ago

What you need to know about Fluad and FluZone High Dose, the new flu vaccines for over-65s

ABC  

In an attempt to avoid a repeat of last year's horror flu season, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the Government would fund two new flu vaccines in 2018 to try to better protect the elderly. Compared to the standard flu vaccine, the high-dose version has been shown to better stimulate the immune system of older users to make protective antibodies. …

Flu hospitalizations rise; no peak in sight
7 years, 1 month ago

Flu hospitalizations rise; no peak in sight

CNN  

Story highlights NEW: CDC acting director: "We may be on track to break some recent records" The nation's hospitalization rate climbed to about 60 people per every 100,000 10 additional pediatric deaths recorded for the week, bringing the total to 63 CNN — The current flu season is “still on the rise,” the acting director of the US Centers for …

Flu vaccine: Could this be a better way to build one?
7 years, 2 months ago

Flu vaccine: Could this be a better way to build one?

CNN  

Story highlights Scientists worldwide are seeking improved and universal flu vaccines In one new study, researchers turn to a mutant virus to design a vaccine CNN — As a deadly flu season continues to ravage the United States, scientists are scrambling to find new ways to fight the virus, including building vaccines that offer stronger protection against the most aggressive …

Pharmacists run out of vaccine as flu cases surge
7 years, 2 months ago

Pharmacists run out of vaccine as flu cases surge

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 A number of British chemists ran out of flu vaccine earlier …

Australia’s flu season has U.S. health officials bracing for a bad winter — and wishing for a new vaccine
7 years, 3 months ago

Australia’s flu season has U.S. health officials bracing for a bad winter — and wishing for a new vaccine

LA Times  

The influenza A virus known as H3N2 was the most common strain in Australia this past flu season. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Wednesday that the United States could experience a “relatively severe influenza season.” If so, it would extend a run of bad luck that began in 2014, when …

Flu season: It’s early, but experts are concerned
7 years, 4 months ago

Flu season: It’s early, but experts are concerned

CNN  

Story highlights Flu vaccine effectiveness varies by how well it matches the circulating virus strains Last year's flu vaccine effectiveness was just 42% This year's flu vaccine may also provide inadequate protection, some experts say CNN — Last year’s seasonal flu vaccine effectiveness was just 42%, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated. “You can’t really do that …

Flu epidemic: Experts explain the reasons behind Australia's bad season
7 years, 6 months ago

Flu epidemic: Experts explain the reasons behind Australia's bad season

ABC  

If you've escaped flu this year, there's some good news: the peak of our bad flu season seems to have passed in most, if not all, parts of Australia. "Even though we've got a vaccine that's not predictable in how well it works each year and on average might have only a 40 per cent efficacy, we'd still recommend it …

Flu season: Why it's been a particularly bad year for influenza
7 years, 7 months ago

Flu season: Why it's been a particularly bad year for influenza

ABC  

This year, the number of laboratory-confirmed flu virus infections began rising earlier than usual and hit historic highs in some Australian states. Equally, it's unlikely more people with suspected flu decided to change their behaviour in 2017 and get tested, compared to 2016, or the year before. Multiple flu viruses circulate each year and serial infections with different strains in …

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 …

Flu vaccine is 48% effective this season, CDC says
8 years, 1 month ago

Flu vaccine is 48% effective this season, CDC says

CNN  

Story highlights Influenza A viruses dominate this season, the CDC says Doctors say unvaccinated people should still get a flu shot this season CNN — The flu shot has been reducing the risk of infections in the United States by about half this season, according to reports issued Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the season …

Why it’s time for a rethink on flu vaccination
8 years, 4 months ago

Why it’s time for a rethink on flu vaccination

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Flu risk may be linked to when you were born
8 years, 4 months ago

Flu risk may be linked to when you were born

CNN  

Story highlights People born before and after 1968 have different risks for certain flu infections, a study suggests "There's actually this kind of blatant protection that we're all carrying around," one expert says Though the new finding is striking, experts still recommend getting your flu shot CNN — Flu season has arrived, and many people are bracing themselves for the …

Body's immune response to influenza leads scientists towards lifelong flu vaccine
8 years, 11 months ago

Body's immune response to influenza leads scientists towards lifelong flu vaccine

ABC  

Researchers in Melbourne have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the body's immune response to the influenza virus, which could pave the way for a universal vaccine that provides lifelong immunity against all strains of flu. Key points: New flu vaccines needed every year due to virus regularly mutating Scientists hope study of how T cells respond to virus could …

Flu vaccine more effective this year
9 years, 1 month ago

Flu vaccine more effective this year

Dutch News  

This year’s flu jab is proving effective at combating the disease even though an unusually high number of patients have needed intensive care, medical researchers have told NOS. ‘On average a jab prevents 70% of flu, so this is quite a bit higher,’ Gé Donker of research institute Nivel told the Radio 1 Journaal. Intensive care There have been hardly …

Flu vaccine more effective this year
9 years, 1 month ago

Flu vaccine more effective this year

Dutch News  

This year’s flu jab is proving effective at combating the disease even though an unusually high number of patients have needed intensive care, medical researchers have told NOS. ‘On average a jab prevents 70% of flu, so this is quite a bit higher,’ Gé Donker of research institute Nivel told the Radio 1 Journaal. Intensive care There have been hardly …

Stronger flu shot to be rolled out in 2016 to arrest increasing spread of virus
9 years, 4 months ago

Stronger flu shot to be rolled out in 2016 to arrest increasing spread of virus

ABC  

A new influenza vaccine that protects against four different strains of the virus will be released next year, after a record number of reported cases this year. This year's flu shot protected Australians from three different strains, but the Federal Government has expanded its effectiveness to include the Brisbane and Phuket strains of influenza for 2016. "There were 90,000 reported …

Scientists Found a Flu Vaccine Flaw—Now They Have to Fix It
9 years, 5 months ago

Scientists Found a Flu Vaccine Flaw—Now They Have to Fix It

Wired  

Among flu viruses, H3N2 is the one you should fear the most. Flu experts have long suspected the H3N2 component was not up to snuff, and a meta-analysis of 60 past studies of flu vaccine effectiveness presented at an infectious disease conference in San Diego this week puts some numbers to it: The seasonal flu vaccine was, on average, only …

Flu season over with one-shot influenza killing jab for LIFE
9 years, 10 months ago

Flu season over with one-shot influenza killing jab for LIFE

Daily Mail  

Breakthrough research by Australian scientists may have cracked the code to developing a single flu vaccine that will provide lifelong protection. Breakthrough research by Australian scientists may have cracked the code in developing a single flu vaccine that will provide lifelong protection University of Melbourne's associate professor Katherine Kedzierska says a discovery has been made on how flu-killing 'killer' cells …

Vaccination key to combating influenza
10 years, 5 months ago

Vaccination key to combating influenza

The Hindu  

Influenza attacks has followed a pattern of peaking twice a year, once during or just after the monsoons and another in the winter season. With public having to deal with influenza virus twice in a year, doctors feel that it has become mandatory, especially for high risk groups like children and pregnant women, to get vaccinated and observe precautionary measures …

Influenza virus hits Australia
12 years, 8 months ago

Influenza virus hits Australia

China Daily  

BRISBANE, Australia - The influenza virus has hit Australia hard this winter, with Queensland recording the highest number of cases in the country, health experts warned on Wednesday. The Influenza Specialist Group, which consists of medical and scientific specialists on influenza from around Australia and New Zealand, said on Wednesday that more than 5,000 cases of the H3N2 and Type …

New broad-acting flu vaccine needed, says immunologist
14 years, 6 months ago

New broad-acting flu vaccine needed, says immunologist

The Hindu  

The global swine flu epidemic has shown how the world needs a new broad-acting vaccine with a “cross-reactive” antibody response that tackles viruses, an Australian immunologist has said on September 28. Nobel Laureate Professor Peter C. Doherty, from the University of Melbourne, said the H1N1 virus showed how a newly emerged flu variant could now spread person-to-person globally, aided by …

Scientists take steps toward universal flu vaccine
14 years, 8 months ago

Scientists take steps toward universal flu vaccine

China Daily  

US scientists think they're on track to develop a 'universal' vaccine that will protect people against all kinds of influenza. Gary Nabel heads the US government's Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health and was the study's lead author: "There are parts of the flu virus that could be the target of what we would hope eventually could …

Swine flu vaccines will not be foolproof: WHO
15 years, 4 months ago

Swine flu vaccines will not be foolproof: WHO

The Hindu  

The much-awaited swine flu vaccine, currently being developed, will not provide 100 per cent protection against the disease, the World Health Organisation said. “No vaccines, including pandemic influenza vaccines, provide 100 per cent protection against the disease. Moreover, the pandemic influenza vaccines are not expected to provide protection against other influenza virus. “Since current seasonal influenza vaccines do not contain …

Simple measures reduce flu risk
15 years, 11 months ago

Simple measures reduce flu risk

ABC  

While the swine influenza incidents across the globe in recent days are cause for concern, there is no need to panic, and Australians can take simple measures to protect themselves and their families. Swine flu is a disease of pigs caused by a type of influenza virus which can occasionally cause disease in humans. However, occasionally a more severe form …

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