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GOP presidential hopefuls use Trump’s covid record to court vaccine skeptics

Former President Donald Trump often seems proud to advertise his administration's record on speedily developing covid-19 vaccines.

29 Nov 2023

UKHSA and the Met Office issue cold-health alerts

UKHSA and the Met Office have issued an amber Cold-Health Alert (CHA) in 3 regions of England. A yellow CHA has also been issued in 2 regions of England.

28 Nov 2023

Children in daycare not significant spreaders of COVID-19, study shows

Parents who send their children to child care can breathe a little easier – research published in JAMA Network Open from experts at Michigan Medicine, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh shows that children in daycare were not significant spreaders of COVID-19.

27 Nov 2023

Feasting for immunity: Study highlights foods that bolster your body's defenses

Study reviews how certain foods, including fruits, vegetables, spices, and animal products, bolster the immune system. It details the immune-boosting properties of various foods and underscores the importance of a nutritious diet in disease prevention and management.

26 Nov 2023

Survey: Over a third of Americans worry about the "tripledemic" of respiratory illnesses

Over a third of American adults are worried that they or someone in their family will get the seasonal flu, Covid-19, or RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) in the next three months, according to a new health survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

20 Nov 2023

Study highlights variable use and rising costs of antivirals in treating pediatric influenza in the U.S.

The Pediatrics study analyzes trends in antiviral usage among U.S. children and adolescents with influenza, revealing significant variations in dispensing rates and costs, and low usage among children under six years, emphasizing the need for improved treatment strategies.

16 Nov 2023

Latest surveillance data shows a rise in antibiotic resistant infections and associated deaths

The latest national surveillance data, announced at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) annual conference in Leeds today, shows that an estimated 58,224 people in England had an antibiotic resistant infection in 2022 - a rise of 4% since 2021 (55,792).

15 Nov 2023

Study reveals coadministered COVID-19 and flu vaccines effective, especially in seniors

The study in JAMA Network Open evaluates the effectiveness of simultaneously administering the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 BA.4/5 COVID-19 vaccine and seasonal influenza vaccines versus separate administration. Results suggest similar or slightly increased COVID-19 outcomes and lower influenza-related outcomes with coadministration, particularly in those aged 65 and above.

13 Nov 2023

Study reveals underuse of antiviral medications in young children with influenza

Despite national medical guidelines supporting the use of antiviral medications in young children diagnosed with influenza, a new study reports an underuse of the treatment.

13 Nov 2023

How lawmakers in Texas and Florida undermine covid vaccination efforts

Katherine Wells wants to urge her Lubbock, Texas, community to get vaccinated against covid-19. "That could really save people from severe illness," said Wells, the city's public health director.

13 Nov 2023

Willow bark may be the source of a new antiviral drug

Scientists have found that specially processed samples of willow bark extract have an antiviral effect which isn’t seen in already known medical compounds from willow bark, such as salicylic acid, the precursor to modern aspirin.

13 Nov 2023

A new RSV shot could help protect babies this winter — if they can get it in time

Emily Bendt was in her third trimester of pregnancy when she first heard the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had approved a new shot for infants to protect them from the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

9 Nov 2023

Immune imprinting: The crux of waning COVID-19 booster effectiveness against new variants

The study in Nature Microbiology reviews the concept of immune imprinting and its influence on antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2, highlighting challenges for COVID-19 booster vaccination efficacy against emerging variants. Researchers suggest that understanding immune imprinting is crucial for developing vaccines that elicit broad and lasting immune protection.

7 Nov 2023

New quantitative analysis of how flu viruses evolved may help predict future strains

Simon Fraser University researchers studying the evolutionary history of flu viruses have found that a new quantitative analysis of how they evolved may help predict future strains.

7 Nov 2023

Avian flu decimates 5% of Peru's sea lions, sparking conservation alarm

Over 5,000 Peruvian sea lions, approximately 5% of Peru's population, succumbed to a mass mortality event linked to the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, signaling an urgent need for research and conservation efforts to prevent further declines. The rapid spread of the virus among these colonially breeding mammals highlights potential risks of cross-species transmission and the necessity for heightened monitoring to avert new pandemics.

5 Nov 2023

Zoonotic spillover epidemics increasing at exponential rate, study finds

Four types of animal-to-human (zoonotic) Infections have been increasing at an "exponential rate," amid a general pattern of increasingly larger and more frequent 'spillover' epidemics, finds an analysis of 60 years of historical epidemiological data, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

3 Nov 2023

Major new campaign launched in the UK to encourage flu and COVID-19 vaccinations

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England are urging those eligible who've not yet come forward for the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to 'get winter strong' and join the millions of others in taking up the offer ahead of the festive and new year season when flu and COVID-19 are expected to peak.

1 Nov 2023

Flu News and Research

GOP presidential hopefuls use Trump’s covid record to court vaccine skeptics

UKHSA and the Met Office issue cold-health alerts

Children in daycare not significant spreaders of COVID-19, study shows

Feasting for immunity: Study highlights foods that bolster your body's defenses

Survey: Over a third of Americans worry about the "tripledemic" of respiratory illnesses

Study highlights variable use and rising costs of antivirals in treating pediatric influenza in the U.S.

Latest surveillance data shows a rise in antibiotic resistant infections and associated deaths

Study reveals coadministered COVID-19 and flu vaccines effective, especially in seniors

Study reveals underuse of antiviral medications in young children with influenza

How lawmakers in Texas and Florida undermine covid vaccination efforts

Willow bark may be the source of a new antiviral drug

A new RSV shot could help protect babies this winter — if they can get it in time

Immune imprinting: The crux of waning COVID-19 booster effectiveness against new variants

New quantitative analysis of how flu viruses evolved may help predict future strains

Avian flu decimates 5% of Peru's sea lions, sparking conservation alarm

Zoonotic spillover epidemics increasing at exponential rate, study finds

Major new campaign launched in the UK to encourage flu and COVID-19 vaccinations

Next-generation vaccine candidates protect against multiple strains of influenza and last longer

Government updates regulations to support the ongoing delivery of Covid and flu vaccinations

UKHSA announces pilot scheme to monitor infections in care homes in England

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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