While the U.S. remains focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to also be aware of flu season as we approach winter. Influenza (flu) viruses typically spread in fall and winter, with activity peaking between December and February. Getting vaccinated now can lower your chances of getting the flu. Flu is a serious disease, caused… Continue reading It’s A Good Time to Get Your Flu Vaccine
Tag: flu vaccine
A Little Nudge May Provide a Big Boost to Flu Vaccination Rates
Currently, only 44 percent of adults in the United States receive an annual flu vaccination. Though the rate has increased in recent years, the change has been slow and marginal. However, a study done at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and published online in March 2017 in the Journal of… Continue reading A Little Nudge May Provide a Big Boost to Flu Vaccination Rates
Why the Flu Vaccine Is Less Effective in the Elderly
Around this time every year, the flu virus infects up to one-fifth of the U.S. population and kills thousands of people, many of them elderly. A study published by Cell Press on December 15th 2015 in Immunity explains why the flu vaccine is less effective at protecting older individuals. More broadly, the findings reveal novel… Continue reading Why the Flu Vaccine Is Less Effective in the Elderly
Flu Vaccine Reduces Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents
When the influenza vaccine is well matched to the prevailing strains of flu in a given season, patients in nursing homes are significantly less likely to be hospitalized or to die of pneumonia and other influenza related causes. The finding comes from a study of more than 1 million Medicare fee-for-service long-stay nursing home residents.… Continue reading Flu Vaccine Reduces Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents