Showing posts with label season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label season. Show all posts

Monday 1 July 2019

A Rough Start To The Flu Season

A Rough Start To The Flu Season.
After a cruel start-up to the flu season, the number of infections seems to have peaked and is even starting to decline in many parts of the nation, federal haleness officials reported Thursday. "We likely reached our highest position of activity and in many parts of the country we are starting to see flu activity decline," said Dr Michael Jhung, a medical officer of the law in US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Influenza Division. Jhung added, however, that flu remains widespread in much of the country.

As has been the cause since the flu mature began, the predominant type of flu continues to be an H3N2 strain, which is not a probity match to this year's vaccine. The majority of H3N2-related infections diagnosed so far - 65 percent - are "different from the roots in the vaccine. The reason: the circulating H3N2 stretch mutated after scientists settled last year on the makeup of this season's flu shot. This year's flu condition continues to hit children and the elderly hardest.

And some children continue to pop one's clogs from flu. "That's not surprising," Jhung said, adding that 56 children have died from complications of flu. In an mean year, children's deaths vary from as few as 30 to as many as 170 or more, CDC officials said. Jhung thinks that over the next few weeks, as in other flu seasons, particular flu strains - such as H1N1 - will undoubtedly become more common. "I expect to see some other strains circulating, but I don't understand how much.

Friday 21 June 2019

A Particularly Nasty Flu Season

A Particularly Nasty Flu Season.
The United States is in the case of a extraordinarily nasty flu season, federal health officials said Friday, due - in obese part - to a strain of the virus that's hitting the elderly and children only hard. That strain is called H3N2 flu, and it's not a good match to the strains in this year's flu vaccine. As a result, thousands of bourgeoisie are being hospitalized and 26 children have died from flu so far, Dr Tom Frieden, gaffer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a high noon press briefing. "Years that have H3N2 predominance minister to to have more hospitalizations and more deaths.

Frieden said hospitalization rates for flu have risen to 92 per 100000 kinsmen this season, primarily due to the H3N2 strain. This compares to a typical year of 52 hospitalizations per 100000 people. In an regular year, more than 200000 people are hospitalized for flu and the mob of children's deaths varies from as few as 30 to as many as 170 or more, CDC officials said. Although it's the medial of the flu season, the CDC continues to recommend that and Harry 6 months and older get a flu shot.

Wednesday 22 May 2019

Current Flu Season Is Deathly

Current Flu Season Is Deathly.
The aware flu season, already off to a violently start, continues to get worse, with 43 states now reporting widespread flu project and 21 child deaths so far, US health officials said Monday. And, the predominate flu continues to be the H3N2 strive - one that is poorly matched to this year's vaccine, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The allotment of outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms reached nearly 6 percent by the end of December, temperament above the baseline of 2 percent, CDC spokeswoman Erin Burns said Monday.

Flu reaches pandemic levels in the United States every year, Dr Michael Jhung, a medical manager in CDC's influenza division, told HealthDay hold out week. Whether this flu season will be more severe or milder than previous ones won't be known until April or May. The handful of children's deaths from flu varies by year. "In some years we experience as few as 30, in other years we have seen over 170. Although it's the mid-point of the flu season, the CDC continues to recommend that everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot.

The reason: there's more than one standard of flu circulating, and the vaccine protects against at least three strains of circulating virus. "If you do battle with one of those viruses where there is a very good match, then you will be well-protected. Even if there isn't a great match, the vaccine still provides defence against the virus that's circulating". People at danger of flu-related complications include young children, especially those younger than 2 years; people over 65; parturient women; and people with chronic health problems, such as asthma, heart disease and weakened unaffected systems, according to the CDC.

Tuesday 7 May 2019

Why Vaccination Is Still Important

Why Vaccination Is Still Important.
US constitution officials have habit-forming numbers to back up their warnings that this season's flu shots are less than perfect: A new study finds the vaccine reduces your chance of needing medical care because of flu by only 23 percent. Most years, flu vaccine effectiveness ranges from 10 percent to 60 percent, reported the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the reduced effectiveness of this season's flu shot, "vaccination is still important," said cable set forth initiator Brendan Flannery, an epidemiologist with the CDC.

So "But there are ways of treating and preventing flu that are especially formidable this season". These encompass early treatment with antiviral drugs and preventing the spread of flu by washing hands and covering coughs. Twenty-three percent effectiveness means that there is some forward - a little less flu in the vaccinated group. Flu is on the whole more common among unvaccinated Americans "but this year there is a lot of influenza both in masses who are vaccinated and in people who are unvaccinated".

The findings are published in the Jan. 16 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. As of initially January, the middle of flu season, flu was widespread in 46 states, and 26 children had died from complications of the infection, CDC figures show. The vaccine's reduced effectiveness highlights the scarcity to deal with serious flu rapidly with antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu or Relenza, the CDC said. Ideally, treatment should start within 48 hours of symptoms appearing.

Tuesday 23 April 2019

Flu Season This Year Began At Christmas

Flu Season This Year Began At Christmas.
In Chicago, a medical centre worker describes the emergency department as "knee-deep in flu and pneumonia cases". In Richmond, VA, Dr Kenneth Lucas of the Patient First clinic says he's seen a 30 percent make the grade in flu cases, which "hit the devotee around Christmastime" and "really rolled in with the holidays". And in Rhode Island, where almost 10 percent of crisis room visits in the whilom week were due to flu-like symptoms, state Health Department Director Michael Fine predicts this could be the worst flu occasion in years. This year's influenza season got off to an early start, and according to these and other published accounts it's ramping up as ridge flu season nears.

And "as we have moved into the end of December and January, undertaking has really picked up in a lot more states," said Tom Skinner, spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu ripen usually peaks in delayed January or early February but by November the flu was already severe and widespread in some parts of the South and Southeast.

Farther north, energy has escalated in the Mid-Atlantic states, including Virginia, in addition to Illinois and Rhode Island. "We did get off to an earlier move than we usually see". According to the most recent CDC statistics, up to date updated Dec 22, 2012 16 states and New York City were reporting outrageous levels of flu activity. The states include Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

Sunday 9 December 2018

Production Of A New Type Of Flu Vaccine Launched In The USA

Production Of A New Type Of Flu Vaccine Launched In The USA.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new specimen of flu vaccine, the energy announced Wednesday. Flublok, as the vaccine is called, does not use the usual method of the influenza virus or eggs in its production. Instead, it is made using an "insect virus (baculovirus) phrasing system and recombinant DNA technology," the FDA said in a news release. This will add vaccine maker Protein Sciences Corp, of Meriden, Conn, to produce Flublok in muscular quantities, the agency added.

The vaccine is approved for use in those aged 18 to 49. "This acceptance represents a technological advance in the manufacturing of an influenza vaccine," said Dr Karen Midthun, the man of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "The new technology offers the hidden for faster start-up of the vaccine manufacturing process in the event of a pandemic, because it is not dependent on an egg equip or on availability of the influenza virus".

While the technology is new to flu vaccine production, it has been employed in the making of vaccines that baulk other infectious diseases, the agency noted. As it does with all influenza vaccines, the FDA will assess Flublok before each flu season. In analyse conducted at various sites in the United States, Flublok was about 45 percent essential against all circulating influenza strains, not just the strains that matched those in the vaccine.

The most commonly reported adverse reactions included trial at the site of injection, headache, enervation and muscle aches - events also typical for conventional flu vaccines, the mechanism said. The new flu vaccine could not have come at a better time, with the flu season well under system and sporadic shortages of both the traditional flu vaccine and the flu treatment Tamiflu. "We have received reports that some consumers have found smudge shortages of the vaccine," FDA Commissioner Dr Margaret Hamburg said Monday on her blog on the agency's website.

Tuesday 15 May 2018

Allergies Can Lead To Depression

Allergies Can Lead To Depression.
Allergy opportunity may not mean just the authoritative coughing, sneezing and itching, it could also significantly darken your mood. Researchers reported that finding at the American Psychiatric Association's annual conference in New Orleans this week. "Depression is a very common disorder and allergies are even more common," said analyse author Dr Partam Manalai, in the department of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Allergies present one more prone to worsening mood, cognition and importance of life".

A large peak in pollen particles floating in the air occurs in the spring, with a smaller mountain in the fall. This coincides with a worldwide spike in suicides every spring and a mark down peak in the fall. To explore this relationship, Manalai and his colleagues recruited 100 volunteers from Baltimore and Washington, DC, who had big depression. About half were allergic and half were not allergic to trees and/or ragweed pollen.

Volunteers were evaluated during both high-pollen mature and low-pollen season, and also had levels of their IgE antibodies (a system of sensitivity to allergens) measured. This is believed to be the firstly study to link actual IgE measurements with depression scores.

Monday 6 March 2017

The USA Does Not Have Enough Tamiflu

The USA Does Not Have Enough Tamiflu.
If the headlines are any indication, this year's flu occasion is turning out to be a whopper. Boston and New York circumstance have declared states of emergency, vaccine supplies are match out in spots, and some emergency departments are overwhelmed. And the slip Tamiflu, used to treat flu symptoms, is reportedly in short supply. But is the status as bad as it seems? The bottom line: It's too early in the flu opportunity to say for sure, according to health experts.

Certainly there are worrying signs. "This year there is a higher platoon of positive tests coming back," said Dr Lewis Marshall Jr, chairman of the concern of emergency medicine at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. "Emergency rooms are experiencing an influx of people.

People are taxing to find the vaccine and having a bitter time due to the fact that it's so late in the vaccination season". But the vaccine is still available, said Dr Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, in a averral Tuesday. "The FDA has approved influenza vaccines from seven manufacturers, and collectively they have produced an estimated 135 million doses of this season's flu vaccine for the US".

And "We have received reports that some consumers have found smudge shortages of the vaccine. We are monitoring this situation". Consumers can go to flu.gov to see native sources for flu shots, including clinics, supermarkets and pharmacies. For society who have the flu "be assured that the FDA is working to devise sure that medicine to wine and dine flu symptoms is available for all who need it.

We do anticipate intermittent, temporary shortages of the word-of-mouth suspension form of Tamiflu - the liquid version often prescribed for children - for the residuum of the flu season. However, the FDA is working with the manufacturer to increase supply". The flu period seems to have started earlier than usual.

Tuesday 7 February 2017

The Best Defense Against Influenza Is Vaccination

The Best Defense Against Influenza Is Vaccination.
The 2013 flu time is living up to its approach billing as one of the worst in years. In Boston, where four flu-related deaths have been reported, Mayor Thomas Menino declared a governmental of emergency on Wednesday, and officials are working to set up on the loose flu-vaccine initiatives. The city has already recorded 700 confirmed cases of flu, compared to 70 cases for all of behind year, according to Boston dot com. At Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, PA, a tent has been set up disguise the difficulty department because the medical center is struggling with a burgeoning number of flu cases, lehighvalleylive fleck com reported.

And in Chicago, Northwestern Memorial Hospital has recorded a 20 percent burgeon in flu patients every day, ABC News reported. The 2012-2013 flu period got off to an early start, and it's only getting worse as peak flu season nears. "As we moved into the end of December and January, labour has really picked up in a lot more states," Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told HealthDay.

According to the most recent CDC statistics, which deal through Dec 29, 2013 a total of 41 states were reporting widespread flu activity. There have been 18 flu-related deaths of children so far. The transcendant strain so far this year is H3N2. "In years existence when we have seen an H3N2 dominate, we tend to see more severe affection in young kids and the elderly".

Thursday 3 March 2016

Vaccination Protects Against Influenza

Vaccination Protects Against Influenza.
US fitness officials would like every American ancient 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine, and on Thursday they produced statistics they suppose should convince everyone to get vaccinated. "In the 2012-2013 flu season, vaccinations prevented at least 6,6 million cases of flu-associated illness. They also prevented some 3,2 million forebears from in their doctor and 79000 hospitalizations," Dr Tom Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a noonday press briefing. The benefits of vaccination seen in 2012-2013 were greater than the CDC had seen before and were attributable to the rigour of the season.

So "Last year was a relatively unembellished season. Even with those hospitalizations prevented, there were still about 381000 flu-associated hospitalizations. This is higher than we have seen during many flu seasons". During the endure flu season, there were some 31,8 million influenza-associated illnesses and 14,4 million doctors visits for flu, according a CDC promulgate in the Dec 13, 2013 outcome of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Frieden said the best way to be protected from the flu is to be vaccinated.

Yet only 40 percent of Americans old 6 months and older had been vaccinated by early November. Flu across the provinces is picking up and even greater activity is predicted in the coming weeks. Increased frequency has been seen in the Southeast and in some states beyond that area. "We know that it will increase in the coming weeks and months, but we cannot foretell where and when and how severe this year's flu season will be.