flu vaccine

No needles required: The FDA approves an at-home flu vaccine

3:28pm September 20, 2024

The nasal spray option could encourage more people who have fears of doctors or needles to inoculate themselves against the flu.

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are readied for use at a clinic in Richmond, Va., Nov. 2022. Just 15% of eligible Americans have gotten the most recent booster shot, according to the CDC.

It's not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults

5:01am December 28, 2022

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Public health officials want more Americans to get the latest COVID vaccine booster. Only 35% of people over 65 have gotten the shot, though 75% of COVID deaths are among people in this age group.

Most efforts to develop a universal flu vaccine have focused on the lollipop-shaped hemagglutinin protein (pink in this illustration of a flu virus).

Health & Safety

Researchers Step Up Efforts To Develop A 'Universal' Flu Vaccine

8:51am February 27, 2020

by Shahla Farzan

Scientists are pushing hard to find a more effective way to prevent nearly all seasonal flu strains with one shot. For starters, they're paying volunteers to spend a 10-day stint in "Hotel Influenza."

It's still pretty early in the flu season, but some states, including Texas and North Carolina, are already reporting the first influenza deaths, including at least 10 children. Most kids each year who die from the flu had not been vaccinated.

Health & Safety

Do You Really Need A Flu Shot? Here's How To Decide

5:46pm December 20, 2019

by Tara Haelle

The internet abounds with myths about the relative risks of flu and flu shots, maybe partly because it's an annual shot and nobody likes needles. Here's the latest on what you might need — and why.

Being overweight or obese can diminish the effectiveness of a flu shot, researchers say.

Excess Weight Can Weaken The Flu Shot

2:34pm November 24, 2019

by Richard Harris

Scientists have come to realize that flu vaccines are less effective for people who are overweight or obese. Now researchers are trying to figure out why and hope to develop better vaccines.

Opinion: We Are Risking Health And Life

8:32am August 24, 2019

by Scott Simon

The government wants to withhold flu shots from migrants in detention centers even though doctors advise vaccinations for all detainees promptly upon arrival.

Babies of moms who are in the ICU with severe flu have a greater chance of being born premature and underweight.

Severe Flu Raises Risk Of Birth Problems For Pregnant Women, Babies

10:30pm January 10, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Pregnant women in intensive care with severe cases of the flu have a higher risk of giving birth to babies prematurely. The risk of breathing problems for the baby is also substantially higher.

Queue Listen Now

Alex Schwartzman, a law student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., is one of only 8 to 39 percent of college students who get the flu shot in a given year.

Health & Safety

Think You Don't Need A Flu Shot? Here Are 5 Reasons To Change Your Mind

10:08am October 01, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

College students are among the least likely to get vaccinated against the flu, which killed more than 80,000 people last winter. Experts say the reasons are a combination of fear and misperception.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Flu-Associated Deaths Reach 95 In North Carolina

5:03pm February 05, 2018

by Bethany Chafin

The number of flu-related deaths continues to rise in North Carolina.