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Articles on Flu shots

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They’re not perfect, but flu shots are still good to get. AP Photo/David Goldman

This year the flu came in two waves – here’s why

The 2018-2019 flu season was less deadly than the last. But the pattern of infection was unusual, thanks to the various strains circulating and the way flu shots work over time.
Terry Roark holds a photo of her son, Thomas, at the state Capitol in Sacramento, California, April 24, 2019, to voice opposition to a bill that would allow state health officials more say in vaccine exemptions. Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

What’s wrong with those anti-vaxxers? They’re just like the rest of us

As measles cases surge, people blame parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. A sociologist who has studied public health says anti-vaxxers may not be so different from the rest of us.
The flu shot decrease the risk of heart attacks in healthy individuals, according to research. Here, pipettes containing immune cells for testing against possible flu vaccines are seen at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., in 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Get the flu shot – to lower your risk of a heart attack

Your risk of a heart attack increases 600 per cent within a week of catching the flu. The flu shot decreases that risk, whether you catch the flu or not.
An Atlanta hospital set up a mobile ER to deal with the large number of flu cases. AP Photo/David Goldman

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

Part of the problem was a mismatch between the influenza strains circulating and the vaccine available. Here’s how annual flu shots are formulated.
Could the yearly flu shot become a thing of the past? AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File

Influenza: The search for a universal vaccine

Flu virus mutates so quickly that one year’s vaccine won’t work on the next year’s common strains. But rational design – a new way to create vaccines – might pave the way for more lasting solutions.
Every year in Canada, there is an average of 23,000 cases of lab-confirmed influenza, 12,000 people who need to be admitted to hospital and 3,500 flu deaths. (Shutterstock)

The flu shot: Who should get it and why

As influenza season begins in North America, many people wonder whether to get a flu shot. Our expert delves into the pros and cons of the vaccine and how it works.
Computers may play an important role in preparing us for the next viral outbreak – whether flu or Ebola. UW Institute for Protein Design

Designing antiviral proteins via computer could help halt the next pandemic

This antivirus software protects health, not computers. Researchers are beginning to combat deadly infections using computer-generated antiviral proteins – a valuable tool to fight a future pandemic.
What if it wasn’t back to the drawing board every year for a new flu shot? Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Influenza: The search for a universal vaccine

Flu virus mutates so quickly that one year’s vaccine won’t work on the next year’s common strains. But a new way to create vaccines, called ‘rational design,’ might pave the way for more lasting solutions.
Military needs drove the development of vaccines we still use today. US troops storming beach via www.shutterstock.com.

How World War II spurred vaccine innovation

During World War II the US military forged partnerships with industry and academia that translated laboratory findings into working products at an unprecedented pace.

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