In the heart of Flu Season, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority wish to remind residents that it is never a bad time to schedule a trip to the doctors office for the Flu vaccine.
While most flu symptoms are rather tame, and most people recover within seven to ten days, there are still cases where the flu can cause extreme discomfort in those whose bodies are not properly equipped to handle the virus. Symptoms typically appear around one to four days after exposure, and can be as simple as a fever, cough, and some mild muscle pain. Other symptoms include headache, chills, fatigue, sore throat, and a loss of appetite. The most severe symptoms include diarrhea and nausea.
Dr. Claudia Kraft, the Territorial Medical Director, shared her knowledge of the flu to help inform northerners of the risks of the influenza virus, as well as the ways that the vaccine can protect those who are more vulnerable.
We know that there are lots of different ideas about the flu vaccine, and sometimes people think that if they had the flu then they neednt get another vaccine, and we also know that demand changes depending on what the flu activity is in a given community, so we wanted to have the chance to share some views about it.
Dr. Kraft explained that across North America, the annual flu season typically starts around November and December, and usually wraps up around April, though those times can vary from year to year depending on different factors. While the cold weather of the North has no direct influence on the spread of the flu, it does end up driving people into their homes more often, which, combined with dry air, can help the flu to spread among families.
Really, why we see cold weather and influenza seasons together is just about the fact that it drives us all inside and close together, and viruses like influenza that are very easy to pass to people really like it when were all indoors and not having our outdoor time, so if you do have a cough, youre much more likely to pass it along. Cold weather also coincides with our school season as well, so theres lots of reasons we notice the pattern of cold weather and flu, but its not really that the cold itself changes the way our bodies react in any way.
This years flu season has been fairly active, according to Dr. Kraft. She states that there have been lots of positive flu tests this season, dating back to before the holiday break in December. She added that this year is reporting around double the amount of positive flu cases as compared to last year. This has caused more people to visit their local doctors and health clinics, as well as more people being sent to the hospital with more severe cases.
When discussing ways to help prevent the spread of influenza, Dr. Kraft stated that many of the methods are now well known, as they have been practiced frequently since the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay home when you are sick, as well as rigorous and thorough hand washing, and general health practices. However, the best defence for the individual and their household is the vaccine.
The vaccine protects against two different strains of influenza, Influenza A, which is the one were seeing lots of right now, as well as Influenza B. so theres protection against both of the major sub-types of Influenza that are likely to hit us this season. Weve seen lots of Influenza A, and we havent seen a lot of Influenza B across the country, but we should certainly expect that we might, or we could in the weeks or months ahead.
Kraft reminds residents that even if they have had the flu in the past, or have even experienced it earlier this season, it is not too late to be protected against Influenza B, should it begin to show up in the coming days. She notes that vaccination or past experience with Influenza A will not protect an individual from a different sub-type of the virus.
The Doctor also made sure to add an important note to her message, being that vaccines are not a perfect failsafe, and contraction is still possible. While she and the rest of the NTHSSA are confident that this years flu vaccine will be effective, she states that some people will still catch the flu, and that the severity will vary from person to person. This can be because some people have compromised immune systems from other factors, and in the case of children, their immune systems may simply not have matured enough to fight back against the flu. Dr. Kraft reassures that even if an individual does contract the flu after getting their vaccination, the shot can still help keep the intensity of their symptoms down.
For those in Yellokwnife who wish to book an appointment for the vaccine, they can call Yellowknife Public Health at 867-767-9120. Dr. Kraft assures that there is plenty of availability for people to book appointments.
FOLLOWED, BUT DID NOT RELEASE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. ALSO NEW AT SIX. KENTUCKYS HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE REPORTING THE FIRST DEATHS AMONG CHILDREN THIS WINTER FROM COVID AND FLU. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REPORTS ONE CHILD DIED FROM COVID AND THE OTHER FROM INFLUENZA. NEITHER CHILD HAD BEEN IMMUNIZED AGAINST THE THE VIRUSES WHICH CAUSED THEIR DEATHS, BUT NO OTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN RELEASED. THE CDC RECOMMENDS
Health officials: 2 Kentucky children reported dead from flu and COVID-19
Updated: 6:20 PM EST Jan 11, 2024
Kentucky state health officials announced that two children have died from respiratory viruses.Officials said that one child died from COVID-19 and the other from the flu. They did not say where in the state the children were from.Neither of the children were immunized against the viruses, according to Kentucky health officials."Influenza and COVID-19 are serious illnesses that unfortunately can be deadly for some people, including young children," said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, in a news release. "It is important for people who have not been vaccinated to get their updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccines this season, along with other recommended immunizations, to protect themselves."Officials say that respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, the flu, and RSV, have been elevated above baseline levels for five consecutive weeks. You can see the latest data here.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone six months or older get the annual flu and COVID-19 vaccines, along with children younger than five or anyone with high-risk complications.To find a COVID-19 or flu vaccine near you, click here.
Kentucky state health officials announced that two children have died from respiratory viruses.
Officials said that one child died from COVID-19 and the other from the flu. They did not say where in the state the children were from.
Neither of the children were immunized against the viruses, according to Kentucky health officials.
"Influenza and COVID-19 are serious illnesses that unfortunately can be deadly for some people, including young children," said Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, in a news release. "It is important for people who have not been vaccinated to get their updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccines this season, along with other recommended immunizations, to protect themselves."
Officials say that respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, the flu, and RSV, have been elevated above baseline levels for five consecutive weeks. You can see the latest data here.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone six months or older get the annual flu and COVID-19 vaccines, along with children younger than five or anyone with high-risk complications.
To find a COVID-19 or flu vaccine near you, click here.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) Believe it or not, the flu thrives when people refuse to get vaccinated. The latest data shows this direct correlation and Louisiana still leads the nation in hospitalizations.
It's a trend that only gets better if we get the shot. But why get the shot?
I've been tracking the latest influenza data and I found an interesting trend when it comes to the vaccine.
First, a quick review on this year's vaccine. It contains four strains and 75% of what we are seeing is this strain - H1N1. Patients with H1N1 tend to have higher hospitalization. The vaccine is especially recommended for elderly and chronically ill patients, as well as the caregivers and their contacts.
Some states have better vaccination rates than others. First, the national average for vaccination is about 47%. Not surprisingly, the states with the lowest vaccination rates have the highest rates of influenza.
Now, for those who are curious, Louisiana is No. 41 at 41% and Mississippi No. 45 at 39%.
Now, let's review the most common discussions I have with patients regarding the flu vaccine.
"I took the shot and it gave me the flu."
It does not contain an intact influenza virus. It cannot give you the flu. Finally, there are hundreds of other flu-like viruses floating around and it could easily be one of those.
"But I took the vaccine and I still tested positive for influenza."
The vaccine contains the four most common predicted strains for the year. It could be another strain. Also, we measure effectiveness by the prevention of serious illness like hospitalization not prevention of the flu altogether.
And a final thought. If you haven't yet had all four strains that are currently in the flu vaccine, it's not too late to get vaccinated.
The Importance of Flu Vaccination
As the winter season unfolds, health organizations worldwide are echoing one critical message: there is still time to get your flu vaccine. This simple preventive measure remains one of the most effective strategies for containing the spread and severity of influenza, a disease that can cause severe illness and even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that flu leads to millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and thousands of deaths each year. However, these alarming figures can be significantly reduced with the widespread adoption of the flu vaccine.
The economic burden of influenza is immense. In 2015, the US alone bore an estimated cost of approximately 11.2 billion dollars due to influenza illnesses. The 2019-2020 influenza season saw an estimated 39-56 million influenza illnesses, 410,000-740,000 hospitalizations, and 24,000-62,000 deaths. The CDC proposes the flu vaccine as the most efficient way to prevent risks associated with influenza-related diseases. However, despite the increased vaccination rates from 48.4% to 52.1% in the 2020-2021 influenza season, it still fell short of the optimal rate of 70% established by Healthy People 2030.
In light of the importance of increasing vaccination rates, educational interventions have been implemented. A quality improvement project aimed to increase patients willingness to receive the influenza vaccine in the Emergency Department. The project targeted low acuity patients and successfully increased vaccination willingness from 29% to an impressive 70% rate. This approach highlights the potent influence of education in promoting health behaviors and could serve as a model for similar interventions.
Securing your protection against the flu has never been easier. Flu vaccines are widely available at primary care locations and health clinics. Some local health departments may even offer low- or no-cost flu vaccines, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, can protect themselves against this potentially serious illness. In addition to getting vaccinated, it is also essential to adopt everyday preventive actions such as frequent hand washing, maintaining physical distancing, and wearing masks in high-risk settings.
In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of flu vaccination becomes even more critical. With a simultaneous surge in respiratory illnesses, including influenza and COVID-19, getting vaccinated against both diseases is a crucial step in preventing severe illness. Moreover, the availability of at-home testing for COVID-19 and clear guidelines for isolation and next steps after a positive test result enables individuals to manage their health more effectively, thus reducing the risk of disease transmission.
By getting the flu vaccine and adopting preventive measures, we can protect not just ourselves, but also our community. Lets work together to create a healthier, safer world for all.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending new vaccines for adults and kids in 2024, according to its latest annual guidelines finalized Jan. 11. The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a collection of medical and public-health experts who regularly review evidence and research about vaccines, compiled the new guidelines.
Like it does every year, ACIP recommends that American adults receive an annual flu shot and several standard vaccinations, such as those for chickenpox (if they havent had it already) and tetanus. For infants and children, the pediatric immunization plan that includes shots such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains mostly the same.
However, the 2024 schedule has some notable changes. Here are the vaccines newly recommended for Americans.
All adults and children 6 months or older should receive a dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine in 2024, ACIP says. The most current shot targets the Omicron variant XBB.15, replacing the bivalent mRNA booster previously recommended on the vaccination schedule. This updated vaccine protects against evolving strains including the JN.1 variant surging in the U.S.
The recommendations come amid historic lows for vaccine uptake in the U.S., leading to outbreaks of dangerous diseases like measles in pockets of the country. Anti-vaccine sentiment is on the rise.
Low COVID-19 vaccination rates are a particularly concerning issue. So far, fewer than 20% of adults in the U.S.and just 8% of eligible kidshave gotten the shot. The updated COVID-19 vaccine is highly protective against hospitalization, serious illness, and death. People vaccinated before contracting COVID-19 are also four times less likely to develop Long COVID, though we now know that the risk also goes up with repeat infections.
Read More: The Updated COVID-19 Shot Works on the Newest Variants
Missing from the document is a plan for increasing vaccine uptake. In a new editorial published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, a group of physicians from City University of New York (CUNY) argue that the absence of any sort of uptake strategy within the CDCs annual document feels like a glaring omission so many years into the pandemic. It demonstrates that CDC has not moved sufficiently beyond merely providing information to clinicians and the public to persuasive communication, the CUNY group writes.
2024 is the first time the government is formally recommending the mpox vaccine on an annual schedule for those in high-risk groups, which includes certain members of the LGBTQ community who may have been exposed to the virus formerly called monkeypox. Mpox cases in the U.S. have remained low since peaking in August 2022, with fewer than 10 new cases per day on average, but the CDC stresses that the two-dose vaccination plays an important role in keeping case numbers down. Those who have already received two doses of the mpox vaccine do not need further vaccination at this time, the agency says.
Pfizers new RSV vaccine, Abrysvo, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in May 2023. The CDC recommends it for two groups: people who are nearing the end of a pregnancy during RSV season (between September and January), and anyone over age 60. Seniors also have the option of taking a different new RSV vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline called Arexvy. Pfizer is currently testing Abrysvo in children ages 2 to 17 at high risk for RSV.
A different RSV shot is also newly recommended for infants up to eight months old if their mothers did not receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy. The monoclonal antibody nirsevimabbrand name: Beyfortuswas approved by the FDA in July 2023, and recent studies have shown that its effective at keeping kids out of the hospital.
Pfizers new vaccine Penbraya, which was approved by the FDA in October, protects against the five most common variations of meningococcal disease affecting adolescents and young adults globally. 2024 marks its first appearance on the vaccination schedules for some children and adults; doctors are now being asked to consider it as an alternative for patients 10 years and older who would otherwise receive the two meningitis vaccines currently in use, which cover the same five variations together. Penbraya is given as two doses six months apart.
10 January 2024
Boris Johnson holds a vial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine
The Covid inquiry will not start hearing evidence about the development of vaccines and other drugs this summer, as originally planned.
Witness hearings will be postponed until a later date, likely to be after the next general election.
Baroness Hallett, who is chairing the inquiry, recognised the decision would be "disappointing for some".
But she said more time was needed to prepare for a separate investigation into the impact of Covid on the NHS.
"I want to ensure our hearings in 2024 are as effective as possible and I recognise the increasing pressure on organisations to respond to requests and provide information to the inquiry," she added.
"I remain committed to not allowing the inquiry hearings to run beyond my original aim of summer 2026."
The Covid-19 public inquiry has been split into a number of sections - known as modules - each covering different topics.
The first phase, which started taking evidence in June 2023, looked at planning for a pandemic. Its findings and recommendations are expected to be published this summer.
A second phase, looking at the major political decisions taken after Covid emerged, started hearings in London in October 2023, and will now travel to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take evidence.
The module investigating vaccines and therapeutics was originally expected to start in the summer of 2024, but that has now been postponed.
Instead, public hearings will restart in September 2024 looking at the impact of the pandemic on the NHS and healthcare, as originally planned.
The investigation into vaccines was meant to look in detail at the rollout of jabs across the UK, including the setting up of the UK vaccines taskforce and the role of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
It will also cover concerns around vaccine safety, including any suggested link between the jabs and heart issues, and whether reforms are needed to the scheme which is meant to pay out if an individual's health is damaged after taking the jabs.
No timing has been given for the postponed hearings, with further details promised "in the next few weeks".
It is thought the decision is likely to push that part of the inquiry until after the next general election, which has to take place before 28 January 2025.
The inquiry is also still expected to question the current cabinet secretary, Simon Case, in a special hearing later this spring.
Mr Case, who has recently returned as head of the civil service after two months of sick leave, was not able to give evidence last autumn when the second phase of the inquiry looked at the political decisions made during the pandemic.
In WhatsApp exchanges with other Downing Street officials, and later read out at the inquiry, he was often critical of ministers.
In one message he accused officials, including former health secretary Matt Hancock and then-education secretary Gavin Williamson, of being "weak".
In another, he described being "at the end of my tether" over decisions being made by Boris Johnson and said the former prime minister was "unable to lead".
The first participants in a trial received doses of a vaccine for the Nipah virus - a disease with a mortality rate of up to 75 per cent.
Scientists have launched the first-in-human trial to test a vaccine to protect people against the Nipah virus.
This zoonotic pathogen, which can be transmitted from animals to humans, has been responsible for outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia.
Fruit bats, particularly those of the Pteropus genus, are considered natural hosts of the virus.
Humans can become infected through direct contact with other infected animals, such as pigs, by consuming contaminated food products, or through close contact with an infected person.
The virus symptoms include fever, headache, dizziness, and respiratory distress. In severe cases, the infection can progress to encephalitis, characterised by inflammation of the brain, leading to altered consciousness and even coma.
The virus has a high mortality rate, estimated at 40 per cent to 75 per cent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A vaccine could bring this rate down.
Nipah virus was first identified in 1998, and yet 25 years on the global health community still has no approved vaccines or treatments for this devastating disease, Brian Angus, the trials principal investigator and professor of infectious diseases at the University of Oxford,said in a statement.
Developed by the University of Oxfords Pandemic Sciences Institute, the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine is the first vaccine to be administered to humans with 51 volunteers who underwent a rigorous screening process to take part in the experiment.
Due to the high mortality rate and the nature of Nipah virus transmission, the disease is identified as a priority pandemic pathogen. This vaccine trial is an important milestone in identifying a solution that could prevent local outbreaks occurring, while also helping the world prepare for a future global pandemic, Angus added.
This trial will focus on evaluating the safety of the vaccine and analysing immune responses in a youthful and healthy demographic.
The project will run over the next 18 months, with further trials expected to follow in a Nipah virus-affected country.
The University of Oxford's work on the Nipah virus vaccine started in 2017 but was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our work developing the COVID-19 vaccine will now help us prepare this Nipah vaccine for licensure, ensuring we're ready to prevent future outbreaks of this devastating disease from spreading, said Sarah Gilbert, principal investigator at the Pandemic Sciences Institute.
The primary objective of Phase I trials is to assess safety, not efficacy. Researchers focus on monitoring adverse effects and determining a safe dosage range.
Subsequent phases of clinical trials are designed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a vaccines effectiveness.
Bivalent Vaccine Coverage
During September 4, 2022March 4, 2023, among 12,706,176 immunocompetent Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years who had previously received an original COVID19 vaccine, 5,683,208 (44.7%) received a bivalent dose (Table 1). Overall, higher percentages of bivalent vaccine recipients than nonrecipients resided in an urban area (83% versus 78%), had received an influenza vaccine during the 202122 season (82% versus 55%) and 202223 season (87% versus 50%), and had received an original monovalent booster vaccine dose (96% versus 73%).
Among 78,618 Medicare beneficiaries aged 18 years with ESRD receiving dialysis who did not have additional immunocompromising conditions and had previously received original COVID-19 vaccine, 23,229 (29.5%) received a bivalent dose, including 7,239 (31.2%) aged 1864 years and 15,990 (68.8%) aged 65 years. Similar to beneficiaries aged 65 years, among recipients with ESRD receiving dialysis, a higher percentage of those who received a bivalent vaccine dose compared with those who had not, had also received an influenza vaccine during the 202122 season (90% versus 82%) and the 202223 season (92% versus 79%) and had received an original monovalent booster vaccine dose (90% versus 74%). In addition, a higher percentage of bivalent COVID-19vaccinated ESRD beneficiaries were older (69% were aged 65 years) and non-Hispanic White (53%) compared with those who did not receive the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (59% and 47%, respectively).
During the study period, COVID-19related thromboembolic events were recorded among 22,001 immunocompetent beneficiaries aged 65 years and 1,040 immunocompetent beneficiaries aged 18 years with ESRD receiving dialysis (Table 2). A total of 1,505,533,898 original-vaccineonly person-days were contributed by immunocompetent beneficiaries aged 65 years, during which 17,746 COVID-19related thromboembolic events were identified (Table 3). Among adults aged 65 years, 694,184,995 bivalent-vaccine person-days were contributed, during which 4,255 COVID-19related thromboembolic events were identified. Adjusted VE against COVID-19related thromboembolic events among immunocompetent beneficiaries aged 65 years was 47%, with lower VE estimates 60 days after bivalent vaccine receipt (42%) compared with VE estimates 759 days after bivalent vaccine receipt (54%).
Similarly, a total of 10,395,534 original-vaccine-only person-days were contributed by beneficiaries aged 18 years with ESRD receiving dialysis, during which 917 COVID-19related thromboembolic events were identified. A total of 2,394,731 bivalent vaccine person-days were contributed, during which 123 COVID-19related thromboembolic events were identified. Adjusted VE against COVID-19related thromboembolic events was 51%, with lower VE estimates 60 days after bivalent vaccine receipt (45%) than 759 days after bivalent vaccine receipt (56%); however, these differences were not statistically significant (i.e., the 95% CIs overlapped).
Similar results were seen among beneficiaries aged 65 years with immunocompromise (overall bivalent VE=46%, with 55% VE 759 days after receipt of vaccine, and 39% VE 60 days post-vaccination) and among beneficiaries with ESRD receiving dialysis and who had additional immunocompromising conditions (overall bivalent VE=45%, with 60% VE 759 days after receipt of vaccine, and nonsignificant 30% VE at 60 days post-vaccination) (Supplementary Table 1; https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/140316). A supplementary analysis estimating VE against all-cause thromboembolic events also indicated a protective effect of bivalent vaccination (Supplementary Table 2; https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/140315).
WASHINGTON (AP) A Montana fire chief who lost a previous job over a coronavirus vaccine mandate has been charged with spraying a chemical irritant on police officers during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Prosecutors say that Frank Dahlquist sprayed an orange-colored chemical agent directly into the face of one officer and later sprayed a second officer as supporters of former president Donald Trump attacked the Capitol building in Washington D.C., according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.
He was identified in part by matching his distinctive facial hair with a photo from the riot to a TV news story about firefighters who were terminated from a fire department near Seattle in April 2022 after the agency required a COVID-19 vaccination, court documents state.
Later that year, Dahlquist was named chief of West Valley Fire Rescue, near Helena, Montana.
No lawyer was listed for Dahlquist in court records, and he did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment. The Associated Press also left messages with the fire department.
Dahlquist was charged with assault, obstruction of law enforcement and other counts. The case was first reported by the online publication Court Watch.
He is also accused of throwing a piece of lumber toward a line of police officers, though it fell short of the officers and did not come close to hitting them, prosecutors said. FBI agents confirmed his identity by talking to firefighters who had worked with him in in Issaquah, Washington and identified him from video and photos taken on Jan. 6. They also provided his cellphone number, which was traced to the restricted area of the Capitol that day.
Investigators also found text messages he sent from that number to someone else convicted in the riot, saying It was a great day!! It got spicy but I love the taste of Freedom.
He was arrested in Montana and made his first court appearance Wednesday, according to court records.
Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman in Washington and Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Montana contributed to this story.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Preventing the next worldwide pandemic from happening before it even starts -- researchers at Stanford University think it's possible.
Doctors say the COVID-19 virus will always be with us, but some experts wonder if the pandemic could have been avoided all together?
What if there was a way in which our bodies fought off a new infection using different immunities?
Stanford University Professor Bali Pulendran and his colleagues think they may have found an answer.
"Imagine if you had this universal vaccine that could've been delivered to humans that induces broad protections," Dr. Pulendran said. "We don't know exactly what this virus is, we don't know what it takes to make a conventional vaccine, but nevertheless, we ramped up our innate immune system that's giving you a broad degree of protection."
MORE: 7 of the biggest medical breakthroughs in 2023
Traditional science utilizes antibodies - our T-cells that remember specifics of viruses introduced by vaccines to fight off infection.
But Dr. Pulendran says the innate immune system, found in all creatures, can be used to fight off more kinds of sicknesses - even viruses we've never been exposed to.
"I mean, that would be an absolute game changer in our society that's struggling against these three major viruses right?" ABC7 News reporter Dustin Dorsey asked.
"Absolutely, or any other virus actually," Dr. Pulendran said. "We should aspire towards creating vaccines that are already available and could be deployed immediately upon the first signs of the pandemic."
MORE: As COVID-19 continues to evolve, so does our immunity. What does that mean for you?
The innate immune system vaccine won't replace traditional antibody vaccines. It's broad, but can only prevent infection for a few months at best.
But, a universal vaccine could create a stop-gap until specific treatments can be developed.
This is all in the hopes we can prevent the next global pandemic.
"In a way, it was too late for the COVID pandemic, but I do believe it's timely in a sense," Dr. Pulendran said. "It stimulated a whole new field that - God forbid - we have another pandemic that this should then be in primetime for that."
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
