influenza

Many Americans Believe They Don't Need The Flu Vaccine

1:47pm November 27, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

An NPR poll finds nearly two-thirds of adults got this year's flu vaccine or plan to get it. Many of those who are skipping vaccination cite a lack of need and worries about side effects.

A nurse prepares an injection of the influenza vaccine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in 2013.

Worried About The Flu Shot? Let's Separate Fact From Fiction

3:08pm November 24, 2015

by Tara Haelle

If you've ever wondered if the flu shot can give you the flu, you're not alone. We fact check the most common flu myths for you and provide the lowdown on this year's vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual flu vaccination for people 6 months and older.

Health & Safety

CDC Says Flu Vaccine Should Be More Effective This Season

9:24am September 18, 2015

by Rob Stein

Public health officials were surprised last year when the dominant strain of circulating flu mutated after the flu vaccine had been formulated. The current version looks like a better match.

The H1N1 swine flu virus kills some people, while others don't get very sick at all. A genetic variation offers one clue.

A Single Gene May Determine Why Some People Get So Sick With The Flu

5:07pm March 26, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

A single genetic mutation might decide who ends up in bed with the sniffles and who heads to the hospital, because it shuts down immune system molecules called interferons.

Bruno Mbango Enyaka gets his flu shot at a community health center in Portland, Maine, on Jan. 7.

This Year's Flu Vaccine Is Pretty Wimpy, But Can Still Help

7:22pm January 19, 2015

by Rob Stein

The vaccine is only about 23 percent effective against the dominant flu strain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's because the strain mutated slightly.

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Health & Safety

Two Triad Flu Deaths Confirmed

5:00pm January 05, 2015

Two Guilford County residents have died from the flu--the first confirmed Triad deaths connected to the virus this season.

Texted Reminders Help Parents Get Kids In For Flu Shots

9:29am December 31, 2014

by Maanvi Singh

It's hard enough to get kids in for one flu shot, let alone two. But when parents got texts that explained why the child needed a second dose, they were much more likely to get the job done.

Graphic: How Prepared Is Your State For The Next Outbreak?

Is Your State Ready For The Next Infectious Outbreak? Probably Not

4:12pm December 19, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Public health has a way of slipping off the radar when people aren't scared about Ebola or anthrax. But that doesn't mean the threats go away. And most states aren't prepared for the next one.

A transmission electron micrograph shows Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus particles (colorized yellow).

NIH Allows Restart Of MERS Research That Had Been Questioned

3:26pm December 18, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The National Institutes of Health has approved requests for waivers from a moratorium on experiments that aim to make the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome more infectious in mice.

Would it help you to know that your worries about the flu shot are unfounded? Perhaps not.

Debunking Vaccine Myths Can Have An Unintended Effect

7:35am December 15, 2014

by Tara Haelle

People concerned about potential flu vaccine side effects may be less likely to get the shot after learning that their worries are more misplaced than they were to start with.