Search Results for: blog updating the flu shot

Swine Flu: Overview

The flu is back in the news lately — specifically an outbreak of swine influenza in Mexico and parts of the United States. What is swine flu? It is a type A influenza virus that infects pigs. In general, swine flu has a high infection rate but a low death rate; it is most commonly seen in late fall and winter (similar to human influenza). Pigs can be infected by other strains of flu — including avian influenza and human influenza. When viruses are passed between different species, they can swap genes — known as reassorting — and create new … Continue reading →

Half-Dose Flu Shots

A study from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center looked at the effectiveness of half-dose flu shots… and found that they are often just as effective as full doses. The researchers worked with more than a thousand subjects between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four. Participants were chosen at random to get a half-dose or a full dose of the influenza vaccine. After the shots were administered, antibody levels in the blood were adequate to protect against the flu in men and women of all ages. Researchers pointed out that full doses of the flu vaccine produced a stronger immune … Continue reading →

Flu Type A vs. Type B

Lately, I find the flu capturing my interest. For a long time, I thought the flu was just the flu. Just another virus going around. But it turns out that there’s more than one type of flu… WAY more than one. The influenza virus is divided into three types: Type A: the most common version of the flu. It is also the most serious — the one that caused flu epidemics throughout history. Influenza A can infect people, birds, pigs, horses, and other animals. Type B: a milder version of the flu. Also to blame for epidemics in the past, … Continue reading →

Updating the Flu Shot

The flu vaccine is new every year. The influenza virus evolves quickly, and the vaccine has to change every year to keep up. This year’s flu shot is getting some attention in the news lately. It seems like the flu shot did well protecting people for the first part of the flu season, but now cases of influenza are on the rise. Why? Because the strains that are very active this year aren’t strains that were covered in the 2008 flu shot. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control say that only about forty percent of the people who got vaccinated … Continue reading →

Where Coughing Comes From

Coughing is a common ailment that sends plenty of people running to the doctor’s office. Occasional coughing can be good for you — it can clear out particles in the lungs that can lead to infection. Persistent coughing isn’t quite so helpful. Most of the time, a cough is a symptom of something else. Maybe you’ve got allergies or post-nasal drip. Maybe a medication (like a nasal spray) is making your throat irritated. Maybe something more serious — like a heart condition, serious sinus infection, the flu, or gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD) — is hiding behind that cough. Your doc will … Continue reading →