Scientists believe a breakthrough discovery has the potential to save lives by protecting us from COVID-19 as well as the flu and colds. Research has found that a new nasal spray could neutralise germs in the nose, preventing infection. A team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed pathogen capture and neutralising spray, or PCANS, … Read more
WASHINGTON — Fall means it’s time for just about everybody to get up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines – and a lot of older adults also need protection against another risky winter virus, RSV. Yes, you can get your flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time. Don’t call them boosters — … Read more
This year in the United States, 14 people have tested positive for avian influenza, or bird flu. Nine of those became infected after coming into contact with poultry, and four got the virus from exposure to dairy cows. The source of the remaining, most recent case remains a mystery. The Centers for Disease Control and … Read more
NEW YORK — Health officials on Thursday said they don’t know how a Missouri person caught bird flu but believe it may be a rare instance of a “one-off” standalone illness. Investigators trying to determine how the person caught the virus have not been able to confirm the exact strain of flu. Centers for Disease … Read more
A new COVID-19 shot is here, and the Food and Drug Administration is recommending everyone 6 months old and up get it. Infectious disease experts have said the new vaccines, which target the KP.2 variant that’s behind the most recent wave of infections, do a better job at preventing serious outcomes like hospitalization and death. … Read more
The US government will pay Moderna $176 million to develop an mRNA vaccine against a pandemic influenza—an award given as the highly pathogenic bird flu virus H5N1 continues to spread widely among US dairy cattle. The funding flows through BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, as part of a new Rapid Response Partnership … Read more
NEW YORK — In the last two years, bird flu has been blamed for the deaths of millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide. It’s killed legions of seals and sea lions, wiped out mink farms, and dispatched cats, dogs, skunks, foxes and even a polar bear. But it seems to have hardly touched people. … Read more
A combined jab for flu and Covid triggered a stronger immune response than separate single vaccines, according to data released by Moderna. The results raise hopes the new vaccine could be approved by regulators this year or next, before potentially being rolled out on the NHS. The US pharmaceutical firm’s Spikevax Covid jab is currently … Read more
NEW YORK — The U.S. flu season appears to be over. It was long, but it wasn’t unusually severe. Last week, for the third straight week, medical visits for flu-like illnesses dipped below the threshold for what’s counted as an active flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. Other indicators, like … Read more
Questions about the safety of working out when sick with an upper respiratory infection are a common concern, according to doctors. Many folks pressure themselves to exercise even when they aren’t feeling 100% well — or hope a good workout will help sweat out their illness. (Spoiler alert: It won’t.) It is frustrating when a … Read more
