Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Report maps vaccination's comprehensive benefits for health and economy

A new Gerontological Society of America report, "Concentric Value of Vaccination: Intersecting Health, Economic, and Societal Benefits," provides evidence on the advantages of immunization for individual and population health, economic outcomes, and societal well-being.

22 Oct 2025

CRISPR therapy shows promise against influenza in human lung chips

The Influenza A virus (IAV) has been the cause of six major flu pandemics, responsible for 50 to 100 million deaths globally.

15 Oct 2025

Immune checkpoint inhibitor TIGIT found to promote tissue healing

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are well known as a form of cancer treatment. Researchers at UZH have now identified a new, important function of these inhibitors: promotion of tissue healing.

15 Oct 2025

WHO launches EIOS 2.0 to accelerate detection and response to public health threats

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with key partners and supporters, launched version 2.0 of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, used globally for the early detection of public health threats.

14 Oct 2025

Bird flu virus survives in raw-milk cheese for months

Findings indicate H5N1 virus stability in raw-milk cheese for 120 days, emphasizing the need for revised safety measures in dairy products to protect health.

14 Oct 2025

HEPA purifiers do not fully reduce classroom viral exposure

In a secondary analysis of a study of 200 classrooms, Mass General Brigham researchers found respiratory viral exposures were still high in those with HEPA purifiers, suggesting additional interventions are needed.

10 Oct 2025

Natural nasal microbes offer broad-spectrum antiviral protection

Respiratory viral diseases pose severe threats to animal health and global food security, especially in intensive pig farming systems.

10 Oct 2025

Taste-based flu test that detects infection within minutes

Researchers examine the effectiveness of a novel taste-based sensor for the early detection of influenza infection.

8 Oct 2025

Wary of RFK Jr., Colorado started revamping its vaccine policies in the spring

As Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s dismantling of federal vaccine policy continues to roil the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some Democratic-led states have struck out on their own, setting up new systems to help them assess the science and maintain immunization access for their residents.

7 Oct 2025

Breakthrough in RNA-targeted drug discovery offers hope against viral diseases

In a quest to develop new antiviral drugs for COVID-19 and other diseases, a collaboration led by scientists at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute has identified a potential new drug against the virus that causes COVID-19.

6 Oct 2025

AI combined with the One Health approach can improve pandemic preparedness

Artificial intelligence could be a valuable tool for detecting emerging diseases earlier, researchers from five European universities and research institutes argue in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

3 Oct 2025

New molecular sensor for taste-based detection of influenza

Flu season is fast approaching in the northern hemisphere. And a taste-based influenza test could someday have you swapping nasal swabs for chewing gum.

2 Oct 2025

Affordable drug found to be effective in treating seriously ill COVID-19 patients

A widely available and affordable drug has been shown to be effective in treating seriously ill COVID-19 patients, according to a new international study led by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) in collaboration with King's College London.

29 Sep 2025

Pasteurized milk contains H5N1 proteins without posing health risks

Proteins and genetic material from H5N1 influenza viruses have been found in pasteurized milk in the United States, but a study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital shows those inactive viral pieces represent little to no health risk.

26 Sep 2025

WHO issues guidance for 2026 flu vaccine formulation in the southern hemisphere

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced its recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for use in the 2026 influenza season in the southern hemisphere.

26 Sep 2025

Gladstone researchers expand mission to tackle emerging infectious threats

From influenza and COVID-19 to HIV, viruses continue to pose a serious danger to global health.

25 Sep 2025

Influenza infection in pregnant mice linked to fetal brain exposure

A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows, for the first time, that severe flu infection in pregnant mice leads to a breakdown in placental and brain barriers, leading to the accumulation of potentially harmful molecules in the fetal brain.

24 Sep 2025

Why universal COVID-19 vaccine guidance offers stronger protection than high-risk-only policies

The US Scenario Modeling Hub’s nine-team ensemble projected COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths for April 2024 to April 2025 under six policy and immune-escape scenarios. Burden was similar to the prior year, with universal vaccination recommendations averting more outcomes than high-risk-only guidance, especially for adults aged 65 years and older.

21 Sep 2025

Mercury in your hot dog? Vaccine skeptics face their limits at crucial CDC meeting

Public health officials watched with dread as a panel shaped by the Trump administration took up an agenda to begin dismantling six decades of vaccination development and progress.

19 Sep 2025

$Kennedy’s take on vaccine science fractures cohesive national public health strategies$

Kennedy’s take on vaccine science fractures cohesive national public health strategies

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has had a busy few months. He fired the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, purged the agency's vaccine advisory committee, and included among the group's new members appointees who espouse anti-vaccine views.

19 Sep 2025