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.
Flu
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.
A Chicago child is one of 2,900 people across the U.S. who have died from the flu so far this season, and the first pediatric death in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The U.S. winter flu season is off to its earliest start in more than 15 years, and there’s a decent chance it could peak much earlier than normal, health officials say.
The vaccine didn’t work against a flu bug that popped up halfway through the past flu season, dragging down overall effectiveness to 29%, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
The flu can keep kids out of school and parents out of work. So why do some parents chose not to get their children vaccinated against it? A new citywide survey offers some insight.
A child in northeastern Illinois is one of 13 across the U.S. who have died from the flu so far this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Flu season is right around the corner, and health officials are urging patients to get vaccinated in light of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that estimates 80,000 Americans died from the flu during the 2017-2018 season.
UChicago Study Finds Immune History Influences Effectiveness
This year’s flu vaccine is only 36 percent effective, according to the CDC. But a new study suggests that a person’s past flu experiences could influence how effective the flu vaccine is for them.
City health officials remind residents it’s not too late to get the flu vaccine. “This is a serious year,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Julie Morita.
Health officials say the flu is peaking early this year, with 100 more flu outbreaks statewide than at this time last season. How hospitals are handling the increased volume of patients.
Doctors say the most dominant strain of the flu this season is one that can take a more severe toll on patients who catch it. How to protect yourself from what could be an especially bad flu season in Chicago.
A new tool developed by University of Chicago scientists could boost public health officials’ ability to predict how severe an upcoming flu season will be.
