Saturday, January 26, 2013
By MARY TABLANTE
Capital News Service
- NEWS
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Saturday, January 26
The flu strain that has been making many sick in Maryland and around the country may be peaking, but that doesn't mean it's time to cease precautions and skip the flu shot. Other strains could circulate, keeping the flu around for months. Overall, the intensity of flu-like illnesses in Maryland remains high, according to the latest Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene report for the week ending Jan. 19. The influenza virus was geographically widespread according to the last report, meaning there is flu activity throughout different regions, said David Blythe, a medical epidemiologist with the state. While the virus is difficult to predict, he said there is a possibility the flu has peaked and is headed toward a decline. Even …
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Does a flu shot cause the flu? Do healthy people need a shot? Here are the answers to some myths to demystify the virus.
The flu vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your family. However, misconceptions about vaccination persist. Here are 7 common myths about vaccination. Flu Myth #1 A Flu Shot Causes the Flu No, a flu shot cannot cause flu illness. The influenza viruses contained in a flu shot are inactivated (killed), which means they cannot cause infection. Flu vaccine manufacturers kill the viruses used in the vaccine during the process of making vaccine, and batches of flu vaccine are tested to make sure they are safe. In randomized, blinded studies, where some people get flu shots and others get salt-water shots, the only differences in symptoms was increased soreness in the arm and redness at the injection site among people who got the…
Friday, January 11, 2013
Google Flu Trends "uses aggregated Google search data to estimate current flu activity around the world in near real-time," its website stated.
Flu cases appear to be rising still in Maryland, according to Google Flu Trends, which "uses aggregated Google search data to estimate current flu activity around the world in near real-time," the Google Flu Trends website stated. Google Flu Trends data indicates that the number of flu cases in Maryland started rising in mid-November. As of Jan. 11, the flu has reached the "intense" category in Maryland, whereas at this time last year, the number of flu cases was only in the "moderate" range. Carroll Hospital said this week it was among the hospitals in the region seeing a spike in flu cases. "We're seeing more in the last few weeks than we saw at this time last year," said Elizabeth Fuss, RN and Infection Control/Associate Health manager …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Social events over the holidays could be one reason the contagious virus spread quickly in December, according to a Carroll Hospital Center representative.
Carroll Hospital Center is seeing more flu cases this year than it did last year at this time, consistent with regional trends, according to a hospital representative. "We're seeing more in the last few weeks than we saw at this time last year," said Elizabeth Fuss, RN and Infection Control/Associate Health manager at Carroll Hospital Center. Fuss said that she expects one reason there is a higher incidence of the Influenza virus is that it hit the community prior to the holidays. "It hit at a time when people generally get together and are more social," Fuss said. "No one wants to say they don't feel well enough to go to a special family event over the holidays--and that's how the flu spreads." Fuss said that health officials would prefer…
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Flu season hits early and hard in the United States, says CDC.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
- Ben Gross
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Wednesday, December 5, 2012
According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) FluView flu activity tracker, the influenza virus has “increased substantially” in the south central and Southeast regions of the country, and has come the earliest since the 2003-2004: While influenza vaccines have been around since 1945, the type that contains a live virus have only been used since 2003, and many people still wonder if they should get a flu vaccine shot. Today, there are two basic types of flu vaccines – traditional needle injection and a nasal spray. Who should get a flu shot? The CDC believes that all persons aged 6 months and older should be vaccinated on a yearly basis, but especially urges the shot for children under 5 and …
Stinkbug
12:08 pm on Saturday, January 26, 2013
According to the cdc...there is no vaccine for parainfluenza or rsv. The flu shot can only protect against the strains of influenza contained in the shot. It can not protect against viruses for which no vaccine exists. The best thing to stop the spread of parainfluenza and rsv is handwashing "Even though the H3N2 strain has predominated this flu season, people could contract other strains and … more ›