We are right in the middle of the flu season, when more and more tests come back positive for the influenza virus. Next to the common cold, there's probably no more familiar illness than the seasonal flu: If you don't get it, someone you know does. Despite this familiarity, there are some fascinating facts about the flu that most of us do not know. Learning about influenza reveals a global network of researchers whose daily work keeps this virus at bay.
After more than a year of a global pandemic, we can all justify a bit of flu fatigue. We've been so busy dealing with COVID-19, that we may have few emotional resources left to deal with a regular flu season. In today's post, we'll highlight the most important topics to know about the upcoming 2021-22 flu season, helping you save some time and hopefully help plan for a safe and healthy winter.
Over the past decade, the general public has come to hear more terminology about vaccines than ever before. Thanks in part to the growth of anti-vaccination groups and resulting media coverage, your average person has been exposed to terms such as "live attenuated ," "quadrivalent" and "recombinant." While the medical field is unanimous in its support for vaccines for those individuals healthy enough to have them, the confusion surrounding these terms can still remain an obstacle for some. Today's post aims at demystifying these terms in the hopes that knowledge will lead to an informed decision (and more flu shots).
