Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'flu'

'Tis The Season For Cold And Flu

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST

Both bring wintertime suffering, but how different is the common cold from influenza, scientifically-speaking? Ira Flatow talks with cold and flu experts about how these viruses are transmitted, how best to dodge them, and why hand sanitizer may not be of much help.

With Google Phone, Track Flu In Your Zip Code

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:23:00 EST

For owners of a T-Mobile G1, also known as the "Google phone," you can now download a program that will give you a read out on the flu in your zip code. The program was created by the makers of the flu remedy — Zicam — and they get their information from polling health care providers and pharmacies. The company that makes the program says a version for the iPhone will be availible later this month.

Flu On Campus: Avoiding Misery For $20

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:29:00 EST

Every year, about 1 in 4 college students gets the flu. A $20 flu shot can be a cheap insurance policy against aching joints and muscles, high fever, missed classes. But even that isn't enough to motivate some students to get vaccinated, so one health expert is trying an economic argument.

Google Search Trends Reveal Flu Outbreaks

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:16:00 EST

With flu season fast approaching, people who feel themselves getting sick are turning to the web to self-diagnose. Aggregating Google's flu-related seraches can yield interesting trends about where outbreaks are occurring — and might even provide earlier regional warnings than the CDC.

Health Workers Give Flu Shots At Polling Places

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:53:00 EST

Public health experts pushing flu vaccinations are always looking for crowds of people. They've found them today at polling places. There has been an effort to give voters the chance to go home with something extra — a sore arm and protection against influenza.

High School HIV Scare Alarms Community

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Every parent knows how schools can be breeding grounds for the flu, or the common cold. But parents at Normandy High School in St. Louis, Mo., were shocked when they learned their children may have been exposed to HIV at school. A roundtable, including Stanton Lawrence, superintendent for the Normandy School District, discusses the case and parents' growing concern.

Bacteria Fingered As Real Killer In 1918 Flu Pandemic

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:23:00 EDT

Bacterial pneumonia attacked virus-weakened lungs and killed most of the 50 million victims of the 1918 flu pandemic. This finding is good news if another flu pandemic strikes: Doctors are now armed with effective treatments for bacterial infections.

Antibodies To 1918 Flu Found In Elderly Survivors

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:28:00 EDT

In the journal Nature, scientists report the antibodies were able to protect mice infected with a variant of the 1918 flu virus. The discovery is helping scientists understand what it might take to battle a modern flu pandemic.

Need Some Botox With That Flu Shot...

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Primary care doctors say they're having more and more trouble making ends meet; they're drowning in paperwork and making less than specialists. So, a growing number of general practitioners are adding cosmetic procedures to their offerings as a way to bring in more money.

Where Does the Flu Come From...

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Recent research using the newest tools of genetics and molecular biology is giving us answers. That's particularly valuable as we try to predict which strains of the flu virus to use in future vaccines.

Agency Pushes Flu Shots for All Youth

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EDT

The committee that sets standards for immunizations recommended that all children age 18 and under get annual shots. The new standards could create a logistical nightmare.

Health Officials Weigh Yearly Flu Shot for Kids

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Public health officials are meeting this week to decide whether to recommend that most children get a flu shot each year. Proponents say that it's the best way to reduce the spread of flu each year. Opponents say there's not enough capacity to produce that much vaccine.

Health Officials Mix Flu Vaccine to Fight Fall Strains

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:41:00 EST

Federal health officials are changing all three components of the flu vaccine for fall 2008, based on a prediction that U.S. residents will be exposed to flu strains that currently are active in Southern Hemisphere countries. Changing all three of the components almost never happens.

Health Officials Still Wary of Flu Pandemic

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:14:00 EST

After spending billions to prepare for a bird-flu pandemic, world health officials are in a holding pattern. But there are signs that the bird-flu virus is spreading in parts of the world. Authorities are now focusing on whether Indonesia -- the most-affected nation -- should share samples of the bird-flu virus with the scientists and drugmakers from developed countries.

Giuliani Cleared to Leave Missouri Hospital

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:23:00 EST

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani was permitted to travel home to New York after spending the night in a St. Louis hospital for flu-like symptoms. He was campaigning in Missouri, where 58 delegates are up for grabs, ahead of the Feb. 5, primaries.

O'Hare Travelers Bide Time with Flu Shots

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:33:00 EST

Long layovers in airport terminals are a sure bet this time of year. Now, travelers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport can pass the time by getting a flu shot.

New and Old Ways to Make Flu Vaccines

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:00:00 EST

Chances are the vaccine for annual flu shots was made in the small Pennsylvania town of Swiftwater. It is home to the biggest flu vaccine plant in the country.

Pneumonia Shot Widely Recommended, Little Used

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:34:00 EST

Flu shots have become so common that you can get one in a grocery store. But not as many people know about the pneumonia vaccine, which has proven quite effective against aggressive forms of pneumococcal strains.

Companies Prepare for Possibility of Pandemic

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

More than 2,500 banks and insurance companies recently participated in a United States Treasury Dept. computer exercise that simulated the affects of an avian flu pandemic in an effort to evaluate their preparedness in the event of widespread emergency. Valerie Abend of the Department of Treasury speaks with Liane Hansen about the exercise.

Many Pharmacists Now Administer Vaccinations

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:01:00 EDT

Flu season is approaching, but you may not have to visit your doctor to get a flu shot. Most states now allow pharmacists to provide many vaccines, including flu shots.

Scientists Study Flu Vaccine in Elderly

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Some scientists say the flu vaccine may be much less effective in people over 65 than has been claimed. But they are firm that older people should still be vaccinated. About 90 percent of Americans who die from the flu are 65 or older.

In a Pandemic, Authorities Face Daunting Tradeoffs

Fri, 04 May 2007 16:19:00 EDT

With resources and legal authority limited, a CDC simulation of a flu pandemic reveals a tough choice: focus on containment of known outbreaks, or screen for new infections at the borders?

CDC's Flu Games Simulate a Pandemic

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:00:00 EDT

More than 300 CDC employees took part in what was supposed to be a 48-hour drill simulating how pandemic flu might spread and how the agency would respond. Officials hoped identifying mistakes in a drill will help with managing a real outbreak.

Flu Studies Point to Isolation for Prevention

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Scientists examining the deadly flu pandemic of 1918 say it offers a lesson for dealing with a potential outbreak today: keep people away from each other. The government supports the approach, but skeptics say it's impractical.

Futures Market to Predict the Next Flu Pandemic

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:46:00 EST

Governments are spending billions to prepare for a flu pandemic that everyone agrees is inevitable. But nobody knows when it will come, or how bad it will be. University of Iowa researchers are launching a new way to tap into experts' best hunches. It's modeled on the futures markets that farmers use to lock in the price of corn or pork bellies.