Content about H5N1

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported 12 additional human infections with influenza A (H3N2) variant virus in three states, comprising of one case in Hawaii, 10 cases in Ohio and one case in Indiana. The H3N2v virus contains the M gene from the 2009 H1N1 virus, as have the previous 17 cases detected since July 2011.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — University of British Columbia researchers may have found a way to develop universal flu vaccines and eliminate the need for seasonal flu vaccinations, university officials announced Tuesday.

ST. LOUIS — An intranasal vaccine that includes four weakened strains of influenza could do a better job in protecting children from the flu than current vaccines, research released Tuesday by St. Louis University found.

ATLANTA — The flu season is in full swing as California reported widespread influenza activity, according to data reported by state and territorial epidemiologists and published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday announced that the first U.S. facility to use a faster and more flexible technology to make influenza vaccine was dedicated as part of an initiative that could provide vaccine supplies sooner in an influenza pandemic.

MAYWOOD, Ill. — On average, 20,000 children under the age of 5 years are hospitalized due to flu symptoms each year, the Loyola University Health System announced Thursday in a press release encouraging parents to have their children inoculated.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Last year's flu season resulted in 100 million lost work days, as well as $6.8 billion in lost wages, according to a new survey conducted by Walgreens.

GENEVA — The World Health Organization on Thursday announced 11 new manufacturers of the seasonal flu vaccine, a development that is expected to double the number of influenza doses to 1.7 billion worldwide by 2015, according to published reports. 

In all, there now are 37 approved vaccine manufacturers that potentially could triple their annual production to make as much as 5.4 billion pandemic vaccinations in the event of another H1N1-type outbreak. 

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Nearly 39 million people, or 12.5% of the U.S. population, are feeling the effects of cold and flu as high illness levels continued across the nation, Boiron stated Friday, citing SDI Health data.

Some of the most prevalent indications are fever and influenza-like symptoms, such as chills, body aches and headache.

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated the nation’s influenza status. Nine states are reporting high influenza-like activity (a metric that captures the severity of a flu outbreak) and 25 states are reporting widespread activity (a metric that captures the estimated level of spread of influenza activity through state and territorial epidemiologists reports.)

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Despite an increase in flu activity, a recent CVS/pharmacy survey showed that 56% of respondents still had not received their flu shot, although 93% were aware that there already have been reported cases of the flu this season, the pharmacy retailer stated.

Flu activity steadily is increasing in the United States, with eight states now having reported widespread outbreaks of influenza cases, according CVS/pharmacy, which cited the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

ATLANTA — In preparation for the National Influenza Vaccination Week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted a press conference Friday afternoon to raise awareness around the universal need for people to be protected against influenza. “It’s a week that we typically highlight the importance of the flu vaccine,” Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters. During a typical season, he said, most influenza incidents begin picking up in December.