High-Dose Flu Vaccines Running Low In Metro Atlanta

 Flu Vaccine Shortages Already Showing Up Across Parts Of The Metro by Nicole Carr.  WSB-TV.  October 21, 2020.  

Live Attenuated Flu Vaccine May Offer Protection Against COVID-19

 Could The Live Flu Vaccine Help You Fight Off COVID-19? by Michaeleen Doucleff.  NPR.  October 8, 2020.  

High Levels Of Influenze-Like Illness In Georgia

Flu Activity Across Georgia On The Rise by Helena Oliviero.  AJC.  December 26, 2018. 

First New Flu Drug In 20 Years Approved By FDA

F.D.A. Approves New Drug For Flu by Donald G. McNeil Jr.  The New York Times.  October 24, 2018. 

Empathy By Sick Individuals May Be Key To Disease Eradication

Empathy From The Sick May Be Critical To Halting Disease Outbreaks.  Georgia Institute Of Technology/Science Daily.  March 16, 2017. 

Raging Bird Flu In China Shows That US Is Not Prepared for Pandemic

The Raging Bird Flu In China Is A Good Reminder The US Isn't Prepared For A Pandemic by Julia Belluz.  Vox.  March 3, 2017. 

Crowdsourcing Used To Monitor Flu In New WebMD Tracker

How Bad Is The Flu In Your Neighborhood?  by Caroline Winter.  BloombergBusiness-Technology.  December 27, 2013.

The actual WebMD tracker is found here.  The data is based upon "a combination of geo-location data and information compiled from over 3 million Symptom Checker visits per month."  The Symptom Checker is feature of the WebMD website.

Flu Among The Fashionistas

Illness Walks The Runway by Tim Murphy.  The New York Times.  January 30, 2013.

Fashion Week come to New York on February 7 accompanied by the flu and norovirus. The Editor at large for Harper's Bazaar said it well:  "Fashion Week season is a nonstop assault on the immune system."  Coping strategies among the runway set.

Researchers Aim To Use Lasers To Identify Flu

UGA Wins Grant To Study Flu With Lasers by Melissa Abbey.  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  January 24, 2013.

The technique for fingerprinting flu could facilitate the early identifying  of the type of flu virus, potentially saving lives by determining the necessity of countermeasures such as quarantine or isolation.

Required Flu Shot For Health Care Workers A Source of Controversy

Mandatory Flu Shots Opposed by Some Health Care Workers by Janice Lloyd.  USA Today,  January 16, 2013.

It is increasingly common for health care employers to require a flu vaccination.  This has lead to resistance for a variety of reasons including medical and religious reasons as well as doubts about effectiveness.  Employers cite the obligation not to spread the flu to patients.  As of November 63% of health care workers had obtained the vaccine.  Some workers who have refused have lost their jobs.

Flu Epidemic Impacts Flow and Volume of Patients In ERs.

Emergency Departments Are On The Frontline Of the Flu by Jenny Gold.  Kaiser Health News.  January 15, 2013.

While Mondays are typically the highest volume day in the ER, during a flu epidemic every day is Monday.  In addition this year's strain H3N2 has proven to be particularly virulent, increasing admissions from the emergency room and make-shift adaptations to increased volume.

A Lasting Flu Virus Vaccine?

Scientists Move Closer to a Lasting Flu Vaccine by Carl Zimmer.  The New York Times.  October 30, 2012.

The basic obstacle to a lasting flu vaccine is that immune system's B and T cells must learn how to develop a specific response to the unique characteristics of the flu prevalent for the season.  To circumvent that problem scientists at Oxford University are developing a T cell-based  flu vaccine that targets parts of the virus that change little from year to year.  Other researchers are focusing on antibody-based broad-spectrum flu vaccine.  They have discovered that certain antibodies can attach to the flu virus protein in a variety of locations thus facilitating the search for a long-lasting flu vaccine.