A flu patient at ProMedica Toledo Hospital in Toledo, Ohio on Jan. 8, 2018.
AP Photo/Tony Dejak
Anyone who’s had the flu can attest that it makes them feel horrible. But why? What is going on inside the body that brings such pain and malaise? An immunologist explains.
A CDC scientist measures the amount of H7N9 avian flu virus grown in a lab.
James Gathany/CDC/Handout via REUTERS
Science has come a long way in the 100 years since the worst flu pandemic in history. But that doesn’t mean that the country is ready for another health disaster.
Donnie Cardenas, on bed, waits with his roommate Torrey Jewett at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, Calif., Jan. 10, 2018. Cardenas had the flu.
AP Photo/Greg Bull
The flu is not only making millions of people sick this year. It’s causing fear and, along with it, a lot of confusion. Should you get a flu shot? Should you see the doctor? An expert advises.
The sun casts a shadow over the Capitol on Friday, Jan. 19.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
No one will be turned away at the emergency room because of the shutdown. But it will take the government longer to respond to public health crises.
Approximately 80 percent of all pharmaceuticals used by Americans are produced overseas.
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Thanks to Hurricane Maria, some US hospitals are experiencing a saline shortage. In times of emergency, medical supply chains break down too easily.
The flu vaccine doesn’t cover all strains of the flu that exist.
Sam Mooy/AAP
There are many flu strains, and those strains can also change and mutate.
Influenza victims crowd into an emergency hospital near Fort Riley, Kansas in 1918.
AP Photo/National Museum of Health
Don’t believe these 10 common myths about the 1918 Spanish flu.
People who are chronically stressed are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack than those who aren’t.
Tim Gouw
Stress has subtle, underlying effects on almost every part of the body, including the heart, gut and immune system.
An annual vaccine is your best protection against the flu.
REDPIXEL.PL/shutterstock.com
After Australia’s tough flu season, some experts predict that the U.S. is in for a few difficult months. What does that mean for you?
Vaccines for the flu offer mediocre coverage compared with those for other diseases.
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A better vaccine could have reduced the rates of flu, but not the high-dose Fluzone vaccine doctors were touting at the start of the week.
Most people don’t take flu seriously enough.
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A vaccine recommendation from a health professional and convenient access will make the biggest difference to uptake.
Flu seems to be more deadly than colds, here’s why.
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Why is it the flu virus is so deadly compared to the common cold virus?
When the H3N2 strain dominates, we see bigger flu seasons and cases affecting the elderly more than the young.
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By mid-August, the 2017 year had recorded more flu notifications across Australia than the previous five years. So why is the flu season so bad this time around?
What can a single person’s flu infection tell you about how the virus changes around the world?
Xue and Bloom
New genetic technologies are letting us look at flu evolution right where it starts: within individual people, while they’re sick.
Computers may play an important role in preparing us for the next viral outbreak – whether flu or Ebola.
UW Institute for Protein Design
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.
When resources are scarce, deciding who should be front of the queue for the flu vaccine is an ethical minefield.
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Australia needs to think about who gets the flu vaccine first before the next pandemic strikes and supplies run low.
Capturing the moment for the internet.
astarot/shutterstock.com
Yelp and Twitter can help us spot food poisoning outbreaks quickly. But a new study shows the data favor some communities over others.
While the flu vaccine cuts your chance of coming down with influenza, that’s not the whole story.
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As we head towards flu season, many people are wondering if it’s worth getting vaccinated against influenza and if so, when. Here’s what you need to know.
After the Spanish flu we didn’t see any new flu strains for forty years. Now novel strains are increasingly popping up.
Carlos Barria/Reuterspics
How is it the flu has managed to stay around for so long, and why haven’t we beaten it yet?
Flu vaccination uptake rates are low in adults, including among those who work in health, aged care and childcare.
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Most immunisation campaigns continue to primarily focus on infants and children, but almost 4 million Australian adults are not vaccinated against preventable diseases.