Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said manufacturers, who are making the immunization for the first time, underestimated demand.
Flu
COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots will be available to everyone at no cost, regardless of insurance or immigration status.
Experts say the tests can be a mixed blessing. You may be able to identify exactly which virus or viruses are making you sick. It may not do you or your doctor much good, however, since most viruses don’t have any specific treatments.
The vaccines were more than 40% effective in preventing adults from getting sick enough from the flu that they had to go to a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital, health officials said during a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccines meeting Wednesday.
This year’s flu season has hit hard and early. Some people are even noticing bare shelves at pharmacies and grocery stores when they make a run for over-the-counter medicines as cases have spiked.
Illinois reported 3,314 new COVID cases Tuesday, leading to about a 7% increase from last week. Meanwhile, data shows RSV cases are on a steady decline and the virus could finally be peaking.
Pharmacies across the country are seeing surging demand for child-friendly versions of Amoxicillin, Tamiflu and other drugs. That demand has led at times to empty shelves and parents having to try multiple pharmacies to find their child’s prescription.
There have been about eight flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season — rates typically seen in December or January. The RSV hospitalization rate is 10 times higher than usual for this point in the season, too.
Reports of flu are already high in 17 states, and the hospitalization rate hasn’t been this high this early since the 2009 swine flu pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, there have been an estimated 730 flu deaths, including at least two children.
When COVID-19 vaccines were first rolling out in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended waiting 14 days between the shots and other immunizations as a precaution. But the agency has since revised its guidelines and says the wait is unnecessary.
Amid all the focus on COVID-19 vaccinations, U.S. health experts have another plea: Don’t skip your flu shot.
As flu season approaches, the country is still grappling with a surge in COVID-19 infections driven largely by the delta variant. Will flu cases and the coronavirus result in a “twindemic” this year? A local doctor weighs in.
With thousands still becoming infected with the coronavirus daily, health officials are urging Illinoisans to get a flu shot in order to avoid a dangerous co-infection.
“If you’re talking about getting back to a degree of normality which resembles where we were prior to Covid, it’s going to be well into 2021, maybe even towards the end of 2021,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday.
It’s winter, which means it’s flu season. We get a check-up on common misconceptions about the flu and flu shots with Dr. Marielle Fricchione, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health's immunization program.
Cancer treatment can be costly, but new findings from Rush University Medical Center suggest an inexpensive, effective treatment could be within reach.
