Sheena G. Sullivan, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza and Rob Moss, The University of Melbourne
The 2018 flu season was mild, while 2017 was a particularly bad year. It’s impossible to predict what the 2019 flu season has in store, but we’ve seen more cases so far this year than usual.
There are three types of flu vaccine available in Australia.
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Ian Barr, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza
Protection wanes after four or five months, so for most people, it makes sense to get a flu shot in mid to late May or early June so you’re protected when the flu season peaks in August or September.
Little yellow-shouldered bat.
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We commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1, but victims of a more deadly threat are rarely remembered. Let’s change that.
Californians in June 2015 protest a bill that did away with personal belief exemptions for vaccinating children before they enter school.
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Vaccination rates for children in some parts of California are down, despite a law that narrowed exemptions. Here’s a look at why people refuse to listen to evidence when it comes to the flu vaccine.
The flu virus changes over time – which is why you need a different flu shot each year.
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Important research questions can almost always be answered better with a combination of methods – where both quantitive and qualitative data play a role.
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)
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.
A nurse in Atlanta reaches for a vial of vaccine to prepare for an injection.
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The flu shot is most effective if you receive it by the end of October. With 80,000 deaths from flu during last year’s flu season, a doctor explains why you should act now.
One-year-old Kilian Doherty being prepared for a chest X-ray Feb. 9, 2018 to determine if he had flu.
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Regular hand washing is important not only to keep from getting the flu but also to prevent passing it to others, such as young children and seniors, who may be even more vulnerable. Here’s how.
An Atlanta hospital set up a mobile ER to deal with the large number of flu cases.
AP Photo/David Goldman
In the event of pandemic flu, poor countries will suffer the most.
A poster from a world summit in Hong Kong on preparing for worldwide pandemics in June 2010. Despite efforts to develop plans, none is yet in place.
Vincent Yu/AP Photo
It doesn’t just seem like the world is experiencing more viral infections than before – it’s a reality. And the way humans live today helps viruses thrive.
Cleaning counters and keyboards can remove flu virus, which can survive well there, a study suggests.
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Vaccination against the flu is the best way to stop its spread, but a recent study suggests increasing air circulation and cleaning surfaces to remove the virus from the environment.