flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear strike preparedness session, opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak.

For CDC, Reducing Flu Spread Takes Priority Over Nuclear Attack Preparedness

5:35pm January 15, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

The agency scrapped plans to tell Americans what to do in a nuclear attack. Instead, it will focus on the flu. The decision came before Saturday's false alert of a ballistic missile attack.

As flu cases mount in California, the state's health department recommends vaccination for all people 6 months and older.

What You Need To Know About This Year's Flu Season

8:44pm January 09, 2018

by Barbara Feder Ostrov

In California, the flu has struck early and hard this season. Health experts aren't sure why. The state's higher temperatures typically result in a later flu peak there than in other parts of the U.S.

Health & Safety

Heading Into Peak Season, Flu-Related Deaths Reach 20 In North Carolina

5:00am January 05, 2018

by Bethany Chafin

Flu-associated deaths in North Carolina have now reached 20 since the season began.

The season runs from October to May, usually peaking in North Carolina around January or February.

Australia had a particularly hard flu season this year, which may predict similar challenges for the U.S.

In The U.S., Flu Season Could Be Unusually Harsh This Year

5:34pm December 08, 2017

by Rob Stein

Health officials fear the U.S. may have a nasty flu season because the main flu virus circulating this year tends to hit people hard and the flu vaccine may be weaker than normal.

Doctors say don't delay getting the flu shot this year.

Fall Weather Headed Your Way? Time For Flu Shots

4:15am September 04, 2017

by Tara Haelle

The American Academy of Pediatrics reminds us that shots — not a nasal spray — are the most effective way to protect kids 6 months and older against the flu.

They had the right idea: During the worldwide flu epidemic that began in 1918, women in this U.S. office wore cloth masks.

Health & Safety

#CuriousGoat: How To Prepare For A Pandemic

7:08pm March 17, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

A pandemic is likely to crop up in the next few decades, many scientists predict. To help readers prepare, NPR created its first-ever Pandemic Preparedness Kit. But it's not your traditional kit.

Health & Safety

Heightened Patient Visitor Screening During Flu Season

4:28pm February 24, 2017

by David Ford

It's peak flu season in the Piedmont, and some local hospitals are will begin limiting patient visits starting Friday in a coordinated effort to prevent the spread of the bug.

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Police tape blocks off a street where a 16-year-old was shot and killed and another 18-year-old was shot and wounded on the on April 25 in Chicago.

National

For Stopping A Pandemic Of Gun Violence, Let's Look To The Flu

5:06pm July 31, 2016

by Michel Martin

We take proactive measures to stop the spread of the flu — so, NPR's Michel Martin asks, why can't we combat gun violence the same way?

Back in 2009, Ella Curry, 6, received a spritz of FluMist at Northwood High School in Silver Spring, Md.

How FluMist Slipped From Preferred To Passe

4:59pm June 27, 2016

by Julie Appleby

A CDC advisory panel concluded the nasal spray vaccine is so ineffective that it shouldn't be used by anyone during the 2016-2017 flu season. Until 2015, the spray was the top choice for kids.

Inside Each Flu Shot, Months Of Virus Tracking And Predictions

1:55pm November 27, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Scientists worldwide face a yearly challenge in deciding what goes into the annual flu vaccine to make it effective. The job requires keeping tabs on a massive group of speedy, shape-shifting viruses.

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