Experts say repeat flu vaccines may not be necessary for some this flu season
ATLANTA — Vaccine makers said this month they plan to make a record amount of flu vaccine for this fall and winter — enough for more than half the population. It's just not clear all those people will...
View ArticleScientists say film 'Contagion' could actually happen
ATLANTA — Yes, it could happen. But it’s a stretch.“Contagion,” a Hollywood thriller that opened last weekend, rocketed to No. 1 at the box office through its gripping tale of a fictional global...
View ArticleBird flu, pig flu, now bat flu? Human risk unclear
ATLANTA — For the first time, scientists have found evidence of flu in bats, reporting a never-before-seen virus whose risk to humans is unclear.read more
View Article158 cases reported of new swine flu strain from pigs
ATLANTA — Don’t pet the pigs.That’s the message state and county fair visitors got Thursday from health officials who reported a five-fold increase of cases of a new strain of swine flu that spreads...
View ArticleQuick Opinion
Virologists are studying yet another new swine flu virus. It is not believed at this point to be a grave threat to humans, said Richard Webby of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He also said...
View ArticleCDC says US flu season off to earliest start in nearly a decade — could be a...
NEW YORK — Flu season in the U.S. is off to its earliest start in nearly a decade — and it could be a bad one.Health officials on Monday said suspected flu cases have jumped in five Southern states,...
View ArticleLocal hospitals make effort to restrict spreading of flu germs
Lubbock hospitals take extra precautions during flu season to restrict the spreading of germs.Barbara Blevins, director of nursing for Covenant Health Systems, said the flu is especially dangerous for...
View ArticleFlu? Malaria? Disease forecasters look to sky
NEW YORK — Only a 10 percent chance of showers today, but a 70 percent chance of flu next month.That’s the kind of forecasting health scientists are trying to move toward, as they increasingly include...
View ArticleOur View: We don't have to take it - we can protect ourselves from cold and flu
Have you noticed several retail stores in Lubbock are providing hand sanitizer and anti-germ wipes for customers? It is nice to see some more weapons in the hands of local people to help them fight...
View ArticleFlu season strikes early and, in some places, hard
NEW YORK — From the Rocky Mountains to New England, hospitals are swamped with people with flu symptoms. Some medical centers are turning away visitors or making them wear face masks, and one...
View ArticleEarlier-than-normal flu season more widespread in US; eases off in some areas
NEW YORK (AP) — Flu is now widespread in all but three states as the nation grapples with an earlier-than-normal season. But there was one bit of good news Friday: The number of hard-hit areas...
View ArticleFlu more widespread in U.S., eases off in some areas
NEW YORK — Flu is now widespread in all but three states as the nation grapples with an earlier-than-normal season. But there was one bit of good news Friday: The number of hard-hit areas declined.The...
View ArticleHospitals crack down on workers refusing flu shots
CHICAGO — Patients can refuse a flu shot. Should doctors and nurses have that right, too? That is the thorny question surfacing as U.S. hospitals increasingly crack down on employees who won’t get flu...
View ArticleAt least 100 kids die of flu each year
NEW YORK — How bad is this flu season, exactly? Look to the children.Twenty flu-related deaths have been reported in kids so far this winter, one of the worst tolls this early in the year since the...
View ArticleTexas churches help congregants avoid the flu
DALLAS — Texas churches are taking precautions to try to help congregants avoid the flu — keeping hand sanitizer at the ready, telling them they can skip the shared communion chalice, and encouraging a...
View ArticlePig virus migrates to U.S., threatens pork prices
DENVER (AP) — Pork prices may be on the rise in the next few months because of a new virus that has migrated to the U.S, killing piglets in 15 states at an alarming rate in facilities where it has been...
View ArticleFall season brings flu, pneumonia vaccination reminder from Calvert
It seems as though the summer has flown by, but believe it or not, it’s already time to start gearing up for the flu and pneumonia season. Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is a serious...
View ArticleFall season brings flu and pneumonia vaccination reminder
It seems as though the summer has flown by, but believe it or not, it’s already time to start gearing up for the flu and pneumonia season. Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is a serious...
View ArticleAt least five Texas deaths blamed on swine flu
HOUSTON — Texas health officials have issued new guidelines for treating flu patients after the spreading illness has left at least five people dead.read more
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