Influenza

BMJ Editor Urges Roche to Release Tamiflu Trial Data

BMJ editor-in-chief Dr. Fiona Godlee has urged pharmaceutical giant Roche to honor the promise it made almost three years ago and release key Tamiflu trial data for independent scrutiny. In an open letter to company director Sir John Bell, she says, “Billions of pounds of ...More
October 29, 2012
Posted in News
Influenza Vaccine May Reduce Risk of Heart Disease and Death

Getting a flu shot may not only protect you from getting sick, it might also prevent heart disease. Two Toronto-based researchers presented studies at the 2012 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress which found that the influenza vaccine could be an important treatment for ...More
October 29, 2012
Posted in News
High-Risk Populations Urged to Get Flu Vaccine

While it is important to get vaccinated against the flu virus as early as possible, it is never too late to reap the benefits of this vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the peak months for the spread of the flu virus are January and ...More
October 25, 2012
Posted in News
Joint Commission Offers Course on Rapid Influenza Testing in Ambulatory Settings

The Joint Commission announces the launch of Strategies for Improving Rapid Influenza Testing in Ambulatory Settings (SIRAS), a free continuing education (CE) course designed for physicians, physician assistants and registered nurses who provide care in ambulatory settings. ...More
October 15, 2012
Posted in News
First CDC FluView Report for 2012-2013 Influenza Season Shows Low Activity Nationwide

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued the first “FluView” influenza activity report for the U.S. 2012-2013 flu season. The 2012-2013 reporting season began on Sept. 30, 2012. The first FluView report shows that influenza activity is low ...More
October 12, 2012
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
Virus Experts Address the Moratorium on Potentially Hazardous H5N1 Influenza Research

How can scientists safely conduct avian flu research if the results could potentially threaten, as well as save, millions of lives? In a series of commentaries appearing on Oct. 9, 2012 in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, ...More
October 9, 2012
Posted in News
Joint Commission Adds Additional Weight to Importance of HCW Vaccination Against Influenza

A strengthened standard from the Joint Commission is adding additional weight to the importance of healthcare worker vaccination against influenza. As of July 1, 2012, the Joint Commission requires that all accredited healthcare organizations establish an annual influenza ...More
October 8, 2012
Posted in Articles, PPE & Standard Precautions
Busting Common Myths About the Flu Vaccine

With cold and flu season upon us, many companies have geared up for what is predicted to be a busy flu season, producing 150 million doses of the influenza vaccine, up 17 million from last year. “This is a pretty busy time around here,” says Dennis Cunningham, MD, an ...More
October 8, 2012
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
Survey Reveals Country-Specific Differences in Preventive Behaviors During 2009 Influenza Pandemic

Many important strategies to reduce the spread of pandemic influenza need public participation. To assess public receptivity to such strategies, Steel-Fisher, et al. (2012) compared adoption of preventive behaviours in response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic among the ...More
October 5, 2012
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene, PPE & Standard Precautions
Onset of Flu Season Raises Concerns About Human-to-Pet Transmission

As flu season approaches, people who get sick may not realize they can pass the flu not only to other humans, but possibly to other animals, including pets such as cats, dogs and ferrets. This concept, called “reverse zoonosis,” is still poorly understood but has raised ...More
October 3, 2012
Posted in News