Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Flu Clinic Locator makes it easy for people to locate the most convenient clinic to get their seasonal flu vaccine

The American Lung Association is making it easier for people to get their seasonal flu vaccine this year with the availability of its 2009-2010 Flu Clinic Locator. The largest online directory of public seasonal influenza vaccination clinics is now available at www.flucliniclocator.org.

11 Sep 2009

Results from a preclinical study of Variation's influenza vaccine to be presented at ICAAC meeting

Variation Biotechnologies, Inc. (VBI), an emerging leader in the discovery and development of novel vaccines to fight infectious diseases, today announced that it plans to present positive results from a preclinical study of the company’s proprietary influenza vaccine at the 49th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), being held at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California.

11 Sep 2009

Elderberry extract prevents H1N1 infection in vitro

A recent research study has given new scientific evidence to the long-held empirical belief that elderberries possess antiviral activities. The research involved a specific, reproducible elderberry extract developed by HerbalScience Group LLC, and succeeded in identifying key chemical components of the extract that inhibited in vitro infection and were shown to bind directly to Human Influenza A (H1N1) virus particles. The binding blocked the ability of the viruses to enter host cells, and thereby effectively preventing H1N1 infection in vitro.

11 Sep 2009

Quidel Corporation expects highest quarterly revenue due to brisk sales of flu tests

Quidel Corporation (NASDAQ: QDEL), a leading provider of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests, announced today that it currently anticipates its highest quarterly revenue and operating income in its history, driven by global shipments of its QuickVue® Influenza A+B tests in the third quarter of 2009.

11 Sep 2009

Adamis Pharmaceuticals' Epinephrine injection categorized as a generic

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced on July 23 that its wholly owned subsidiary, Adamis Labs launched and shipped the first orders of the company’s Epinephrine Injection, USP, 1:1000 (0.3mg prefilled single dose syringe) (“PFS”). Today, Adamis Labs reports that at least two major data base reference companies (Medi-Span® and First DataBank) placed the Company’s PFS in their generic category.

11 Sep 2009

FFF stress the importance of seasonal flu vaccination in children

Families Fighting Flu (FFF) reminds parents today to get their children vaccinated against the seasonal flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children six months through 18 years of age get a seasonal flu vaccination each year.

11 Sep 2009

Nuvilex and Legacy Biotechnologies to develop natural remedies for flu- type symptoms

Nuvilex, Inc., announces today that it has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement with Legacy Biotechnologies, Inc., a private company based in Tampa, Florida, to develop and market all natural remedies for symptoms of broad spectrum flu viruses.

11 Sep 2009

NIH provides Inviragen second major grant to develop a dengue vaccine

Inviragen has received a $600,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to partially support its continued efforts to develop a safe and effective dengue vaccine. The two-year grant will fund a collaborative effort led by Inviragen and involving scientists at the University of Wisconsin and Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The supported work will include additional optimization of Inviragen’s vaccine to generate more potent immune responses.

10 Sep 2009

U.S. public health officials recommend early flu vaccination

With increased influenza activity anticipated this fall, U.S. public health officials and other leading medical experts today urged Americans to be vigilant and get immunized early for protection against seasonal influenza - a threat to Americans' health each and every year.

10 Sep 2009

Swine flu more lethal than seasonal flu

Pandemic swine flu can infect cells deeper in the lungs than seasonal flu can, according to a new study published today in Nature Biotechnology.

10 Sep 2009

Swine flu more lethal than seasonal flu

Pandemic swine flu can infect cells deeper in the lungs than seasonal flu can, according to a new study published today in Nature Biotechnology. The researchers, from Imperial College London, say this may explain why people infected with the pandemic strain of swine-origin H1N1 influenza are more likely to suffer more severe symptoms than those infected with the seasonal strain of H1N1.

10 Sep 2009

Business operations to be hit in the event of H1N1 outbreak

In a national survey of businesses that looks at their preparations for a possible widespread H1N1 outbreak, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that only one-third believe they could sustain their business without severe operational problems if half their workforce were absent for two weeks due to H1N1 (also known as "swine flu").

10 Sep 2009

Instant updates to parents on H1N1 influenza

Parents of school-aged children in every public and nonpublic school throughout Missouri will be able to receive instant updates about the H1N1 (Swine) flu as a result of a new, free service provided by the Missouri School Boards’ Association in collaboration with SchoolReach, a St. Louis-based school-to-parent notification and communications company. The service is available now to schools that do not already have an alert notification in place for parents.

10 Sep 2009

New Influenza A/H1N1 detection kit launched

QIAGEN, today announced both the launch of a new Influenza A/H1N1 test and several updates to its activities in providing solutions for the global surveillance of the swine flu pandemic. QIAGEN’s new kit enables both the highly sensitive and specific detection of the novel Influenza A/H1N1, the virus that causes “swine flu”, as well as of all other known Influenza A and B virus strains.

10 Sep 2009

E.V-Trax Employee Vaccination Tracking System helps eliminate manual data entry

General Data Company, Inc., which specializes in barcode-based error-proofing and tracking system solutions, is offering a new mobile application to help healthcare organizations administer employee vaccinations and track the immunization status of their personnel for H1N1, influenza, and other vaccinations.

10 Sep 2009

First trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine testing launched

The first trial testing a candidate 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in pregnant women is launching this week, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced today.

10 Sep 2009

Plant extract could lead to new drug development for H1N1

Scientists in China have discovered that roots of a plant used a century ago during the great Spanish influenza pandemic contains substances with powerful effects in laboratory experiments in killing the H1N1 swine flu virus that now threatens the world.

10 Sep 2009

Members of Blue Shield of California to receive administrative costs of the H1N1 virus vaccine

Blue Shield of California announced today that it will cover the administrative costs of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) vaccine for all its members, regardless of which plan they have. Blue Shield will be waiving prior authorizations, copays and deductibles for office visits when members go to an in-network doctor to get H1N1 vaccinations.

9 Sep 2009

Cepheid's Flu Panel test to provide 45-minute identification of Flu A infection

Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) today announced the accelerated development of a Flu A (Influenza Virus) Panel test for use on the GeneXpert((R)) System. The test will be designed to provide 45-minute identification of Flu A infection, with specific presumptive identification of seasonal H1, seasonal H3, and H1N1 novel strain types.

9 Sep 2009

International summit on the H1N1 influenza pandemic and critical business preparedness

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota is convening an international summit on the H1N1 influenza pandemic and critical business preparedness.

9 Sep 2009